,@,,@@,,,,                                          ,@,,,@,,,,
,@@,@,@,,,                                          ,@@,,@@,,,
,@,@@@@@,,                                          ,@,@,@,@,,
,@@@,,,,@,                                          @@@@@@@@@,
,@,,@,,,@@                                          @,,,,,,,,@
@@@,@@,,@,                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?         @,@,,@,,,@
@@@,@,@,,@                                          ,@@@,@@,,@
,,,@@@@@,@                                          ,@,,@@,@,@
@,,@,,,,@@                                          @@@,@,@@@@
,@,@@,,,@,                                          @,,@@@@,,,
,@@@,@,,@@                                          @@,@,,,@,,