,,,^^\@@@@                                          @@@@\^^,,,
,^~\%@@@##                                          ##@@@%\~^,
,,,^^^^\@@                                          @@\^^^^,,,
,^~\%@@@@#                                          #@@@@%\~^,
,^~\%@@@@#                                          #@@@@%\~^,
,^~\%@@@@@                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?         @@@@@%\~^,
,^~\%@@@@#                                          #@@@@%\~^,
,^~\%@@@##                                          ##@@@%\~^,
,^~\%@@@##                                          ##@@@%\~^,
,,,,~~%%%@                                          @%%%~~,,,,
,^~~\\\%@@                                          @@%\\\~~^,