,,«=****§#                                          #§****=«,,
,,,,,,«**@                                          @**«,,,,,,
,,«=**§@##                                          ##@§**=«,,
,,,,,««**§                                          §**««,,,,,
,,,,,,=**§                                          §**=,,,,,,
,,«=**§###               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?          §****«,,,,
,,«=**§@##                                          ##@§**=«,,
,,«=**§@##                                          ##@§**=«,,
,,«=**§@##                                          ##@§**=«,,
,,,,,,=*@@                                          @@*=,,,,,,
,,,,,===*@                                          @*===,,,,,