@,,,@,,,@@                                          @@@,@@@@,,
@@,,@@,,@,                                          ,,,@@,,,@,
@,@,@,@,@@                                          @,,@,@,,@@
,@@@@@@@@,                                          ,@,@@@@,@,
,@,,,,,,,@                                          @@@@,,,@@@
@@@,,,,,,@                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?         ,@@@,,,,,,
@@,@@,,@@@                                          ,@,,@,,,,,
@,@@,@,@,,                                          @@@,@@,,,,
@@@,@@@@@,                                          ,,,@@,@,,,
@,,@@,,,,@                                          ,,,@,@@@,,
@@,@,@,,,@                                          @,,@@@,,@,