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