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