####%§:«^,                                          ,^«:§%####
####%§:«^,                                          ,^«:§%####
##%%%§:«^,                                          ,^«:§%%%##
####%§:«^,                                          ,^«:§%####
#%§§:«^,,,                                          ,,,^«:§§%#
####%§:«^,                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?          ,,,,^:§###
#####%§:«^                                          ^«:§%#####
#%§§§§:«^,                                          ,^«:§§§§%#
##%§::^,,,                                          ,,,^::§%##
#####%§«^,                                          ,^«§%#####
##%:««,,,,                                          ,,,,««:%##