¨¨,=:%*@ @#&*%:=,¨¨
¨,=:%*@# #@#&*%:=,¨
¨¨,=:%*@ @#&*%:=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=:%* #&*%:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=:%*& &*%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=:%* 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? &*%:=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=:%* *%:=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=:% %:=,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=: :=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,= =,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨