¨----^§@@#                                          #@@§^----¨
¨--^*§@@##                                          ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@##                                          ##@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨--^^§@@                                          @@§^^--¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@##                                          ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@##               WINDS ESKER                ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## ---------------------------------------- ##@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-^§@                                          @§^-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--^§§@ THERE WAS THIS  PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS @§§^--¨¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@## I  COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS  HOW  MUCH ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS, OR POINTED  OUT ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## ON MAPS,  I COULD NOT  THINK  OF IT WHEN ##@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨¨--^*§@ ALONE.  I WOULD  OFTEN TRAVEL  PAST  THE @§*^--¨¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@## FORK,  WHERE A RIGHT  TURN  WOULD SURELY ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@### TAKE ME THERE, BUT  EVEN THEN, SOMETHING ###@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@##              KEPT ME AWAY.               ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@@#                                          #@@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@@# WHEN  I  FINALLY  GOT THERE,  AFTER SOME #@@@§*^--¨
¨------**@     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     @**------¨
¨--^*§@@## ASSUME,  THE  PLACE  WAS   SURREAL.   AN ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^§@@### ESKER,  LIKE  A NEEDLE-THIN  RIFT OUT IN ###@@§^--¨
¨--^*§@@## THE  LAKE,  BUT  TEN   METERS  HIGH  AND ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@### ADORNED  IN BIRCH, WILLOW, BRACKEN,  AND ###@§*^--¨
¨¨¨---**@@               BLUEBERRIES.               @@**---¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@##                                          ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§§@@# WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO #@@§§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## NOTICE  THE  VIEW TO  EITHER SIDE. THERE ##@@§*^--¨
¨---^^^§@@ SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I @@§^^^---¨
¨¨¨¨¨-^^*@ DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM. FIRST  OFF,  THEY @*^^-¨¨¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@## WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE,  AS THE LAKE SHOULD ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## STRETCH FOR  A  HUNDRED  METERS MORE  ON ##@@§*^--¨
¨--*§@@### BOTH SIDES.  BUT  NOW  I  FELT  I  COULD ###@@§*--¨
¨--^^^*§@# ALMOST REACH  OUT  AND TOUCH  THEM.  AND #@§*^^^--¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-*@ THEN, WHEN I REALIZED  WHICH SHORES THEY @*-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-^*§@@###           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           ###@@§*^-¨
¨--^*§@@##                                          ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@@# THEY WERE  OF  THE RIGHT  LAKE. BUT THIS #@@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@@#       LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND      #@@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§§§@@ BIPARTITE. LIKE  A  PAIR OF LUNGS CARVED @@§§§*^--¨
¨--^*§@### INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO  LESS THAN ###@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@##   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   ##@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨--^*§§@      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      @§§*^--¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@##     IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY    ##@@§*^--¨
¨---^^*§@@ UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING MANY  MILES @@§*^^---¨
¨¨¨¨--***@                  AWAY.                   @***--¨¨¨¨
¨--^*§@###                                          ###@§*^--¨
¨--^^^§§@@ I  EXAMINED   THE  RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE @@§§^^^--¨
¨--^*§@@## ABOVE. WAS  THIS  WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§§§@@ FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T @@§§§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@@@                REMEMBER.                 @@@@§*^--¨
¨--^**§@@@                                          @@@§**^--¨
¨--^***@@# CARRYING  FORWARD,  ON  THE VERY TIP  OF #@@***^--¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-^§@ THE  ESKER,  I FOUND  THE RUINS OF  SOME @§^-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-*§@    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    @§*-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨---*@@  MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH @@*---¨¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@## THE  MOSS,  AND  STRANGE  SLABS INSERTED ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@### INTO  THE SLOPE LIKE  DAMS  AGAINST  THE ###@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@###              GROUND ITSELF.              ###@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@##                                          ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## SITTING THERE, I  COULD SEE  ACROSS  THE ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@### NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO  WHERE I ###@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## SAT:  FROM  THE  STAIRWELL  OF MY HOUSE, ##@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-^§@ THROUGH THE OLD  WOODS  BEHIND THE  TILE @§^-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-^§@@      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      @@§^-¨¨¨¨¨
¨------^§@ TWENTY THREE  AND  THEN BACK  UNDER  IT, @§^------¨
¨--^*§@@## THROUGH   THE  FANCY  VILLAS,  OVER  THE ##@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨¨¨---*@ FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN AT  THE @*---¨¨¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@##                  FORK.                   ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@##                                          ##@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨¨¨-*§§@ AND  THEN  THE STAIRS UP ON  THE  RIDGE. @§§*-¨¨¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@## THINKING  BACK,  THIS WAS  PROBABLY  IT. ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## HIDDEN  IN A  GROVE, THERE  WERE  STAIRS ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## MUCH LIKE  THE ONES  I CURRENTLY SAT ON, ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@@# OLD AND WORN  DOWN,  THAT  LEAD  YOU  UP #@@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨¨¨--*@@ ONTO THE  ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD @@*--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-^*§@@# I INSTED OPTED  TO WALK THE  PATH AT ITS #@@§*^-¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@## FOOT,  I'M SURE  MY EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE ##@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨----^§@          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          @§^----¨¨¨
¨--^*§@@@#                                          #@@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## ---------------------------------------- ##@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨¨--*@@@                                          @@@*--¨¨¨¨
¨--^*§@### ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE   IN ###@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@### BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD  THEY  EVEN SEE ###@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@## ME?  IF  I SHOUTED,  WOULD  THEY TURN TO ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*@@###         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          ###@@*^--¨
¨--^*§@@##                                          ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@##                                          ##@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@@@                                          @@@@§*^--¨
¨--^*§@@@#                                          #@@@§*^--¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-^§@                                          @§^-¨¨¨¨¨¨