###@$=*~^,                                          ,^~*=$@###
###@$=*~^,                                          ,^~*=$@###
###@$=*~^,                                          ,^~*=$@###
###@$=*~^,                                          ,^~*=$@###
#$$$$=*~^,                                          ,^~*=$$$$#
@$$**~^^^,                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 ,,,,,^*$$#
@=***~~,,, FOOT,  I'M SURE  MY  EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE ,,,~~***=@
####@$*~^,          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          ,^~*$@####
@$***^,,,,                                          ,,,,^***$@
###@$=*~^, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,^~*=$@###
@@=**~,,,,                                          ,,,,~**=@@
###@$=*~^, ON  THE  LAKE,   THERE  WERE  PEOPLE  IN ,^~*=$@###
###@$=*~^, BOATS.  I WONDERED, COULD  THEY EVEN SEE ,^~*=$@###
####@$=*~^ ME?  IF  I SHOUTED, WOULD  THEY  TURN TO ^~*=$@####
#@@=*^,,,,         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          ,,,,^*=@@#
###@$=*~^,                                          ,^~*=$@###
###@$=*~^,                                          ,^~*=$@###
###@$=*~^,                                          ,^~*=$@###
###@$=*~^,                                          ,^~*=$@###
#@$$*~~,,,                                          ,,,~~*$$@#