%^-~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~-^%
^-~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~-^
%^-~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~-^%
§%^-~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~-^%§
§§%^-~,,,,                                          ,,,,~-^%§§
#§§%^-~,,,                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?         ,,,,,,~-^%
^-~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~-^
%^-~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~-^%
§%^-~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~-^%§
§§%^-~,,,,                                          ,,,,~-^%§§
#§§%^-~,,,                                          ,,,~-^%§§#