,~«==%&@##                                          ##@&%==«~,
,,~«==%&@#                                          #@&%==«~,,
,,,~«==%&@                                          @&%==«~,,,
,,~«==%&@#                                          #@&%==«~,,
,~«==%&@##                                          ##@&%==«~,
,,~«==%&@#               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?         ##@&%==«~,
,,~«==%&@#                                          #@&%==«~,,
,,,~«==%&@                                          @&%==«~,,,
,,~«==%&@#                                          #@&%==«~,,
,~«==%&@##                                          ##@&%==«~,
,,~«==%&@#                                          #@&%==«~,,