,,,,,@,,,@                                          ,,,@,,,,@,
@@@@,,,@,,                                          @@,,,@@,,,
,@@,,@,,,,                                          @,,@,,,,@,
,,,,,,,@@@                                          ,,,,,@@,,,
@@@@@@,,@,                                          @@@@,,,,@@
@@@@@,,,,,               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?         @@@@,,,,,,
@@@,,@@@@,                                          ,@@,,@@@@@
@@,,,,@@,,                                          ,,,,,,@@@@
@,,@@,,,,,                                          ,@@@@,,@@@
,,,,,,@@@@                                          ,,@@,,,,@@
,@@@@,,@@@                                          @,,,,@@,,,