¨¨¨,=:%$@# #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ WINDS ESKER @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# ======================================== #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## I COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS HOW MUCH ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS, OR POINTED OUT #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ ON MAPS, I COULD NOT THINK OF IT WHEN @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# ALONE. I WOULD OFTEN TRAVEL PAST THE #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## FORK, WHERE A RIGHT TURN WOULD SURELY ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### TAKE ME THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## KEPT ME AWAY. ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ WHEN I FINALLY GOT THERE, AFTER SOME @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## ASSUME, THE PLACE WAS SURREAL. AN ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### ESKER, LIKE A NEEDLE-THIN RIFT OUT IN ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## THE LAKE, BUT TEN METERS HIGH AND ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# ADORNED IN BIRCH, WILLOW, BRACKEN, AND #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ BLUEBERRIES. @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## WALKING ATOP THAT SPINE, I CAME TO ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### NOTICE THE VIEW TO EITHER SIDE. THERE ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## SHOULD BE SHORES, OF COURSE, BUT I ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM. FIRST OFF, THEY #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE LAKE SHOULD @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# STRETCH FOR A HUNDRED METERS MORE ON #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## BOTH SIDES. BUT NOW I FELT I COULD ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### ALMOST REACH OUT AND TOUCH THEM. AND ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH SHORES THEY ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# WERE, I HAD TO STOP. #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# THEY WERE OF THE RIGHT LAKE. BUT THIS #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### BIPARTITE. LIKE A PAIR OF LUNGS CARVED ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO LESS THAN ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING MANY MILES ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### AWAY. ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# I EXAMINED THE RIDGE, THE TREELINE #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ ABOVE. WAS THIS WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# FROM THOSE OTHER SHORES? I COULDN'T #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## REMEMBER. ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## CARRYING FORWARD, ON THE VERY TIP OF ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# THE ESKER, I FOUND THE RUINS OF SOME #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## THE MOSS, AND STRANGE SLABS INSERTED ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### INTO THE SLOPE LIKE DAMS AGAINST THE ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## GROUND ITSELF. ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ SITTING THERE, I COULD SEE ACROSS THE @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE I #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## SAT: FROM THE STAIRWELL OF MY HOUSE, ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### THROUGH THE OLD WOODS BEHIND THE TILE ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# TWENTY THREE AND THEN BACK UNDER IT, #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ THROUGH THE FANCY VILLAS, OVER THE @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN AT THE #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## FORK. ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## AND THEN THE STAIRS UP ON THE RIDGE. ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# THINKING BACK, THIS WAS PROBABLY IT. #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ HIDDEN IN A GROVE, THERE WERE STAIRS @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# MUCH LIKE THE ONES I CURRENTLY SAT ON, #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## OLD AND WORN DOWN, THAT LEAD YOU UP ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## I INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT ITS ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# FOOT, I'M SURE MY EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED. @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## ======================================== ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## ON THE LAKE, THERE WERE PEOPLE IN ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN SEE #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ ME? IF I SHOUTED, WOULD THEY TURN TO @$%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME? #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%$@## ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%$@### ###@$%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%$@## ##@$%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%$@# #@$%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%$@ @$%:=,¨¨¨¨