###@§$=-^.                                          .^-=$§@###
##@§%$=-^.                                          .^-=$%§@##
@%==^.....                                          .....^==%@
##@§%$=-^.                                          .^-=$%§@##
##@§%$=-^.                                          .^-=$%§@##
###@§%$=^.                WINDS ESKER               .^=$%§@###
##@§%$=-^. ---------------------------------------- .^-=$%§@##
§$$$=^....                                          ....^=$$$§
#§§$$=^... THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR  TWO YEARS ...^=$$§§#
##@§%$=-^. I  COULDN'T GO  TO.  REGARDLESS HOW MUCH .^-=$%§@##
#§%%%$=-^. DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS,  OR POINTED OUT .^-=$%%%§#
##@§%$=-^. ON MAPS,  I COULD NOT THINK  OF  IT WHEN .^-=$%§@##
###@§$=-^. ALONE.  I WOULD OFTEN  TRAVEL  PAST  THE .^-=$§@###
§%%%==-^.. 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 ......-=%@
##@§%$=-^. MUCH LIKE THE ONES I  CURRENTLY  SAT ON, .^-=$%§@##
##@§%$=-^. OLD  AND  WORN  DOWN,  THAT LEAD  YOU UP .^-=$%§@##
##@§%$=-^. ONTO THE ESKER.  THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD .^-=$%§@##
##@§%$=-^. I  INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE  PATH AT ITS .^-=$%§@##
##@§%$=-^. FOOT, I'M  SURE  MY EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE .^-=$%§@##
##@§%$=-^.          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          .^-=$%§@##
@@§$=^....                                          ....^=$§@@
@@@§%$=-^. ---------------------------------------- .^-=$%§@@@
##@§%$=-^.                                          .^-=$%§@##
##@§%$=-^. ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE   WERE  PEOPLE  IN .^-=$%§@##
###§%$=-^. BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD THEY  EVEN  SEE .^-=$%§###
##@§%$=-^. ME? IF  I  SHOUTED, WOULD THEY  TURN  TO .^-=$%§@##
§%$=^^....         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          ....^^=$%§
§%%$$==-^.                                          .^-==$$%%§
§%==-^....                                          ....^-==%§
#§%%%$=-^.                                          .^-=$%%%§#
###§%$=-^.                                          .^-=$%§###
##@§%$=-^.                                          .^-=$%§@##