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