,,.=^§£&£@                                          @£&£§^=.,,
,,,.=^§£&£                                          £&£§^=.,,,
,,,,.=^§£&                                          &£§^=.,,,,
,,,,,.=^§£                                          £§^=.,,,,,
,,,,.=^§£&                                          &£§^=.,,,,
,,,.=^§£&£                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?          &£§^=.,,,,
,,,.=^§£&£                                          £&£§^=.,,,
,,.=^§£&£@                                          @£&£§^=.,,
,.=^§£&£@#                                          #@£&£§^=.,
,,.=^§£&£@                                          @£&£§^=.,,
,,,.=^§£&£                                          £&£§^=.,,,