#$=««.....                                          .....««=$#
###§$==«^.                                          .^«==$§###
§§§$==«^^.                                          .^^«==$§§§
#§$=«.....                                          .....«=$§#
###§$==«^.                                          .^«==$§###
###§$==«^.               WINDS ESKER                .^«==$§###
###§$==«^. «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« .^«==$§###
§$$==«....                                          ....«==$$§
###§$==«^. THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR  TWO YEARS .^«==$§###
#§§§$==«^. I COULDN'T  GO TO.  REGARDLESS HOW  MUCH .^«==$§§§#
###§$==«^. DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS,  OR POINTED OUT .^«==$§###
###§$==«^. ON MAPS, I  COULD  NOT THINK OF  IT WHEN .^«==$§###
§$=«««««^. ALONE. I WOULD  OFTEN  TRAVEL  PAST  THE .^«««««=$§
###§$==«^. FORK, WHERE  A  RIGHT TURN WOULD  SURELY .^«==$§###
§$$$$==«^. TAKE ME THERE, BUT EVEN  THEN, SOMETHING .^«==$$$$§
###§$==«^.              KEPT ME AWAY.               .^«==$§###
###§$==«^.                                          .^«==$§###
###§$==«^. WHEN I  FINALLY  GOT  THERE, AFTER  SOME .^«==$§###
###§$==«^.     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     .^«==$§###
###§$==«^. ASSUME,   THE   PLACE  WAS  SURREAL.  AN .^«==$§###
####$==«^. ESKER,  LIKE  A NEEDLE-THIN RIFT  OUT IN .^«==$####
###§$==«^. THE  LAKE,  BUT   TEN  METERS  HIGH  AND .^«==$§###
##$==^.... ADORNED IN  BIRCH,  WILLOW, BRACKEN, AND ....^==$##
###§$==«^.               BLUEBERRIES.               .^«==$§###
###§$==«^.                                          .^«==$§###
###§$==«^. WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO .^«==$§###
####§$=«^. NOTICE THE VIEW  TO  EITHER SIDE.  THERE .^«=$§####
#$==^..... SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I .....^==$#
###§$==«^. DIDN'T  RECOGNIZE THEM. FIRST OFF,  THEY .^«==$§###
§$==^^^... WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE  LAKE SHOULD ...^^^==$§
###§$==«^. STRETCH  FOR A  HUNDRED  METERS  MORE ON .^«==$§###
#§==^..... BOTH  SIDES. BUT  NOW  I  FELT  I  COULD .....^==§#
###§$==«^. ALMOST REACH  OUT  AND  TOUCH  THEM. AND .^«==$§###
#§=«...... THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH  SHORES THEY ......«=§#
###§$==«^.           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           .^«==$§###
§§$==«....                                          ....«==$§§
§§==^..... THEY WERE  OF THE RIGHT LAKE.  BUT  THIS .....^==§§
###§$==«^.      LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND       .^«==$§###
###§$==«^. BIPARTITE.  LIKE A PAIR OF  LUNGS CARVED .^«==$§###
#§$==«.... INTO THE GRANITE, AND  WITH NO LESS THAN ....«==$§#
§$=«......   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   ......«=$§
#§§$=^....      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      ....^=$§§#
§$====««^.    IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY     .^««====$§
#§§§$==«^. UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING MANY  MILES .^«==$§§§#
§====«....                  AWAY.                   ....«====§
§$$=«««^^.                                          .^^«««=$$§
#§$====«^. I  EXAMINED  THE  RIDGE,  THE   TREELINE .^«====$§#
###§$==«^. ABOVE.  WAS THIS  WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, .^«==$§###
#$$=^^.... 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 ...^^==$$§
##$=«.....          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          .....«=$##
#§=====«^.                                          .^«=====§#
#$===«.... «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ....«===$#
§§§=««^...                                          ...^««=§§§
#$===^.... ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE   IN ....^===$#
###§$==«^. BOATS. I WONDERED,  COULD  THEY EVEN SEE .^«==$§###
###§$==«^. ME? IF  I  SHOUTED,  WOULD THEY TURN  TO .^«==$§###
###§$==«^.         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          .^«==$§###
#§=«^.....                                          .....^«=§#
###§$==«^.                                          .^«==$§###
#$$===«...                                          ...«===$$#
###§$==«^.                                          .^«==$§###
§$$=^.....                                          .....^=$$§