.~«=*&£@##                                          ##@£&*=«~.
.~«=*&£££@                                          @£££&*=«~.
..~~==**&@                                          @&**==~~..
......«=&£                                          £&=«......
....~««=*£                                          £*=««~....
...~~«=&&£               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?          ###@&*=«~.
...~««=*&£                                          £&*=««~...
.~«=****££                                          ££****=«~.
.~«=*&£@##                                          ##@£&*=«~.
.~«=*&£@##                                          ##@£&*=«~.
.~«=*&£@##                                          ##@£&*=«~.