,,,^«†%$££                                          ££$%†«^,,,
,,^«†%$££#                                          #££$%†«^,,
,^«†%$££##                                          ##££$%†«^,
,,^«†%$££#                                          #££$%†«^,,
,,,^«†%$££                                          ££$%†«^,,,
,,,,^«†%$£               WINDS ESKER                £$%†«^,,,,
,,,,,^«†%$ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« $%†«^,,,,,
,,,,^«†%$£                                          £$%†«^,,,,
,,,^«†%$££ 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?          ££$%†«^,,,
,,,,^«†%$£                                          £$%†«^,,,,
,,,,,^«†%$                                          $%†«^,,,,,
,,,,^«†%$£                                          £$%†«^,,,,
,,,^«†%$££                                          ££$%†«^,,,
,,^«†%$££#                                          #££$%†«^,,