&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨& &¨¨¨¨&&¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨&¨¨¨&&&¨¨
¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨ ¨¨&¨¨&¨&&¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨¨&&&
&¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨& ¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨&
&&¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨ 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? &¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨&
&&¨¨¨&¨¨&¨ ¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&
¨&&¨¨¨&¨¨& ¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&
¨&&&¨¨¨&¨¨ &¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨&¨&&¨¨¨&¨ ¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨& ¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨