,,,,«%%@ @#&%%«,,,,
,^«;%§@# #@#&§%;«^,
,^«;%§## ###&§%;«^,
,^«;§@## ##@#&§;«^,
,,,,,^«;%& &%;«^,,,,,
,^«;%§@# 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? @&%%««^^^,
,,,^««;§ #&§;««^,,,
,^«;%§## ###&§%;«^,
,^«;%§§&&@ @&&§§%;«^,
,^«;%%%% #&%%%%;«^,
,^«;%§@@ @@#&§%;«^,