¨¨¨¨-~^%%& &%%^~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~^%%&@ @&%%^~-¨¨¨
¨¨-~^%%&@# #@&%%^~-¨¨
¨-~^%%&@## ##@&%%^~-¨
¨¨-~^%%&@# #@&%%^~-¨¨
¨¨¨-~^%%&@ 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? #@&%%^~-¨¨
¨¨¨-~^%%&@ @&%%^~-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~^%%& &%%^~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-~^%% %%^~-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~^%%& &%%^~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~^%%&@ @&%%^~-¨¨¨