¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨# #¨¨#¨¨#¨¨¨
########¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##
#######¨¨# #######¨¨#
######¨¨¨¨ ######¨¨¨¨
¨####¨¨##¨ #####¨¨##¨
¨¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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? ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########