..@.@.@.@. @....@.@.@
.@@.@.@.@. @...@@.@.@
..@.@.@.@. @..@.@.@.@
.@@.@.@.@. @.@@.@.@.@
..@.@.@.@. @..@.@.@.@
.@@.@.@.@. 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? @..@.@.@.@
.@@.@.@.@. @.@@.@.@.@
..@.@.@.@. @..@.@.@.@
.@@.@.@.@. @.@@.@.@.@
..@.@.@.@. @..@.@.@.@
.@@.@.@.@. @.@@.@.@.@