,,~~†%£&@# #@&£%†~~,,
,,,~~†%£&@ @&£%†~~,,,
,,~~†%£&@# #@&£%†~~,,
,~~†%£&@## ##@&£%†~~,
,,~~†%£&@# #@&£%†~~,,
,,,~~†%£&@ 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? #@&£%†~~,,
,,,~~†%£&@ @&£%†~~,,,
,,~~†%£&@# #@&£%†~~,,
,~~†%£&@## ##@&£%†~~,
,,~~†%£&@# #@&£%†~~,,
,,,~~†%£&@ @&£%†~~,,,