,-«==@@@#@                                          @#@@@==«-,
,-«==@##@@                                          @@##@==«-,
,,,,,-=@#@                                          @#@=-,,,,,
,,,,--=@@#                                          #@@=--,,,,
,-«==@@##@                                          @##@@==«-,
,-«==@####                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?          #@##@==«-,
,-«==@##@#                                          #@##@==«-,
,-«=====@#                                          #@=====«-,
,-«==@##@#                                          #@##@==«-,
,-«==@##@#                                          #@##@==«-,
,,--===##@                                          @##===--,,