¨@@@¨¨¨¨¨@ @@¨@¨@¨¨@@
@@¨¨@¨¨¨¨@ ¨¨@@@@@¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨¨¨@ @¨@¨¨¨¨@@@
¨@@@@¨@¨¨@ @@@@¨¨¨@¨¨
¨@¨¨¨@@@¨@ ¨¨¨¨@¨¨@@¨
¨@@¨¨@¨¨@@ 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? ¨¨@¨¨¨@@¨@
¨@¨¨@¨@¨@@ @¨@@¨¨@¨@@
@@@¨@@@@@¨ @@@¨@¨@@@¨
@¨¨@@¨¨¨¨@ @¨¨@@@@¨¨@
¨@¨@¨@¨¨¨@ @@¨@¨¨¨@¨@
@@@@@@@¨¨@ ¨¨@@@¨¨@@@