«:........ ........:«
:......... .........:
«:........ ........:«
:«:....... .......:«:
=:«:...... ......:«:=
*=:«:..... 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? ......:«:=
*=:«:..... .....:«:=*
¤*=:«:.... ....:«:=*¤
@¤*=:«:... ...:«:=*¤@
#@¤*=:«:.. ..:«:=*¤@#
##@¤*=:«:. .:«:=*¤@##