#,,###,,#,                                          #,,#,,,,,,
##,#,,#,##                                          ,#,##,,,,,
#,###,###,                                          ,###,#,,,,
###,,##,,#                                          ,#,,###,,,
#,,#,#,#,#                                          ,##,#,,#,,
##,#######                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?         #,,,,#####
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,,,,#,#,,,                                          ,,#,,##,,,
,,,,####,,                                          #,##,#,#,,
,,,,#,,,#,                                          ,##,#####,
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