,,,,«%%&#@                                          @#&%%«,,,,
,^«;%§&#@#                                          #@#&§%;«^,
,^«;%§&###                                          ###&§%;«^,
,^«;§&#@##                                          ##@#&§;«^,
,,,,,^«;%&                                          &%;«^,,,,,
,^«;%§&#@#                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?          @&%%««^^^,
,,,^««;§&#                                          #&§;««^,,,
,^«;%§&###                                          ###&§%;«^,
,^«;%§§&&@                                          @&&§§%;«^,
,^«;%%%%&#                                          #&%%%%;«^,
,^«;%§&#@@                                          @@#&§%;«^,