###@$%/»,¨                                          ¨,»/%$@###
¶$///,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,///$¶
##¶@$%/»,¨                                          ¨,»/%$@¶##
##¶@$%/»,¨                                          ¨,»/%$@¶##
¶¶¶@$%/»,¨                                          ¨,»/%$@¶¶¶
##¶@$%/»,¨               WINDS ESKER                ¨,»/%$@¶##
@%%»»»,,¨¨ »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» ¨¨,,»»»%%@
¶$/////»,¨                                          ¨,»/////$¶
##¶@$%/»,¨ THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO  YEARS ¨,»/%$@¶##
##¶@$%/»,¨ I  COULDN'T GO  TO. REGARDLESS HOW  MUCH ¨,»/%$@¶##
#¶¶@$%/»,¨ DISCUSSED  WITH OTHERS,  OR  POINTED OUT ¨,»/%$@¶¶#
##¶@$%/»,¨ ON  MAPS, I COULD NOT THINK OF  IT  WHEN ¨,»/%$@¶##
##¶@$%/»,¨ ALONE.  I  WOULD  OFTEN TRAVEL  PAST THE ¨,»/%$@¶##
@%»,,,¨¨¨¨ 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?          ¨¨¨¨,,»»%@
@@@%»¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨»%@@@
#@$//»,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,»//$@#
@%///,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,///%@
¶$%%///»,¨                                          ¨,»///%%$¶
###@$%/»,¨                                          ¨,»/%$@###