###§*$==~¨                                          ¨~==$*§###
#§$=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=$§#
§*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*§
###§*$==~¨                                          ¨~==$*§###
#*$=====~¨                                          ¨~=====$*#
###§*$==~¨               WINDS ESKER                ¨~==$*§###
#*=~~¨¨¨¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨¨¨¨~~=*#
#§$=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=$§#
##§§*$==~¨ THERE WAS  THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS ¨~==$*§§##
###§*$==~¨ I COULDN'T  GO  TO. REGARDLESS HOW  MUCH ¨~==$*§###
###§*$==~¨ DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS,  OR  POINTED  OUT ¨~==$*§###
§***=~~¨¨¨ 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 ¨~~~~==*##
#§$=~¨¨¨¨¨          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         ¨¨¨¨¨~=$§#
###§*$==~¨                                          ¨~==$*§###
###§*$==~¨                                          ¨~==$*§###
§§§**$==~¨                                          ¨~==$**§§§
#§**==~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~==**§#
§$=~~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~~=$§