&¨¨¨&¨&¨¨¨ ¨&&¨&¨¨&¨¨
&¨¨&&¨&¨¨¨ &¨&¨&¨&&¨&
&¨&¨&¨&¨¨& &¨&¨&¨¨&¨¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&&¨&
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨¨&¨¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ 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? &¨&¨&¨¨&¨¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&&¨&
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨¨&¨¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&&¨&
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨¨&¨¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&&¨&