,^»/*$£###                                          ###£$*/»^,
,^»/*$@£##                                          ##£@$*/»^,
,^»/*$@££#                                          #££@$*/»^,
,,^»»»»*$£                                          £$*»»»»^,,
,,,,»**@@#                                          #@@**»,,,,
,,,,,,^/*@                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. ££$$$*/»^,
,,,,^»/*@£ THINKING  BACK,  THIS WAS  PROBABLY  IT. £@*/»^,,,,
,^»/*$@£## HIDDEN  IN  A GROVE,  THERE  WERE STAIRS ##£@$*/»^,
,^»/*$@£## MUCH LIKE  THE ONES I CURRENTLY  SAT ON, ##£@$*/»^,
,,,^^^/$@£ OLD  AND  WORN DOWN,  THAT  LEAD  YOU UP £@$/^^^,,,
,^»//*$@££ ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT  OF ENTRY. HAD ££@$*//»^,
,^^»»/$@@@ I  INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH  AT ITS @@@$/»»^^,
,,,,,,^/$£ FOOT,  I'M  SURE MY  EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE £$/^,,,,,,
,^»/*$@££#          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          #££@$*/»^,
,,,,,»***@                                          @***»,,,,,
,^»/*$@£## »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» ##£@$*/»^,
,,,,,,»/$@                                          @$/»,,,,,,
,,,,,,^/$£ ON   THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE  IN £$/^,,,,,,
,,,»/**@£# BOATS.  I WONDERED,  COULD THEY EVEN SEE #£@**/»,,,
,^»/*$@£## ME?  IF I  SHOUTED,  WOULD  THEY TURN TO ##£@$*/»^,
,^»/*$@£##          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         ##£@$*/»^,
,^»/*@£###                                          ###£@*/»^,
,^»/*$@£##                                          ##£@$*/»^,
,^»/*$$@££                                          ££@$$*/»^,
,^»/*$@£##                                          ##£@$*/»^,
,^»/*$@£##                                          ##£@$*/»^,