####%/«.,, ,,.«/%####
#####%/«., ,.«/%#####
####%/«.,, ,,.«/%####
###%/«.,,, ,,,.«/%###
##%/«.,,,, ,,,,.«/%##
#%/«.,,,,, 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? ,,,,.«/%##
#%/«.,,,,, ,,,,,.«/%#
##%/«.,,,, ,,,,.«/%##
###%/«.,,, ,,,.«/%###
####%/«.,, ,,.«/%####
#####%/«., ,.«/%#####