#§§§†~,... ...,~†§§§#
##§§§†~,.. ..,~†§§§##
###§§§†~,. .,~†§§§###
##§§§†~,.. ..,~†§§§##
#§§§†~,... ...,~†§§§#
§§§†~,.... 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? .........,
~,........ ........,~
†~,....... .......,~†
§†~,...... ......,~†§
§§†~,..... .....,~†§§
§§§†~,.... ....,~†§§§