$$*-:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:-*$$
#$$*-:,,,,                                          ,,,,:-*$$#
##$$*-:,,,                                          ,,,:-*$$##
@##$$*-:,,                                          ,,:-*$$##@
#@##$$*-:,                                          ,:-*$$##@#
@##$$*-:,,               WINDS ESKER                ,,:-*$$##@
##$$*-:,,, ---------------------------------------- ,,,:-*$$##
#$$*-:,,,,                                          ,,,,:-*$$#
$$*-:,,,,, THERE WAS  THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS ,,,,,:-*$$
$*-:,,,,,, I COULDN'T  GO  TO. REGARDLESS HOW  MUCH ,,,,,,:-*$
$$*-:,,,,, DISCUSSED  WITH OTHERS, OR  POINTED  OUT ,,,,,:-*$$
#$$*-:,,,, ON MAPS, I  COULD  NOT THINK OF  IT WHEN ,,,,:-*$$#
##$$*-:,,, ALONE.  I  WOULD OFTEN TRAVEL  PAST  THE ,,,:-*$$##
@##$$*-:,, FORK,  WHERE  A  RIGHT TURN WOULD SURELY ,,:-*$$##@
#@##$$*-:, TAKE ME THERE, BUT  EVEN THEN, SOMETHING ,:-*$$##@#
@##$$*-:,,               KEPT ME AWAY.              ,,:-*$$##@
##$$*-:,,,                                          ,,,:-*$$##
#$$*-:,,,, WHEN I  FINALLY  GOT THERE,  AFTER  SOME ,,,,:-*$$#
$$*-:,,,,,     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     ,,,,,:-*$$
$*-:,,,,,, ASSUME,   THE  PLACE  WAS  SURREAL.   AN ,,,,,,:-*$
$$*-:,,,,, ESKER,  LIKE  A NEEDLE-THIN RIFT OUT  IN ,,,,,:-*$$
#$$*-:,,,, THE  LAKE,  BUT  TEN  METERS   HIGH  AND ,,,,:-*$$#
##$$*-:,,, ADORNED IN  BIRCH, WILLOW, BRACKEN,  AND ,,,:-*$$##
@##$$*-:,,               BLUEBERRIES.               ,,:-*$$##@
#@##$$*-:,                                          ,:-*$$##@#
@##$$*-:,, WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO ,,:-*$$##@
##$$*-:,,, NOTICE  THE VIEW TO EITHER  SIDE.  THERE ,,,:-*$$##
#$$*-:,,,, SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I ,,,,:-*$$#
$$*-:,,,,, DIDN'T  RECOGNIZE THEM. FIRST OFF,  THEY ,,,,,:-*$$
$*-:,,,,,, WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE  LAKE SHOULD ,,,,,,:-*$
$$*-:,,,,, STRETCH  FOR A  HUNDRED METERS  MORE  ON ,,,,,:-*$$
#$$*-:,,,, BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW I  FELT  I  COULD ,,,,:-*$$#
##$$*-:,,, ALMOST  REACH OUT  AND  TOUCH THEM.  AND ,,,:-*$$##
@##$$*-:,, THEN, WHEN I REALIZED  WHICH SHORES THEY ,,:-*$$##@
#@##$$*-:,           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           ,:-*$$##@#
@##$$*-:,,                                          ,,:-*$$##@
##$$*-:,,, THEY  WERE OF THE  RIGHT LAKE. BUT  THIS ,,,:-*$$##
#$$*-:,,,,      LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND       ,,,,:-*$$#
$$*-:,,,,, BIPARTITE. LIKE  A  PAIR OF LUNGS CARVED ,,,,,:-*$$
$*-:,,,,,, INTO  THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO LESS THAN ,,,,,,:-*$
$$*-:,,,,,   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   ,,,,,:-*$$
#$$*-:,,,,      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      ,,,,:-*$$#
##$$*-:,,,     IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY    ,,,:-*$$##
@##$$*-:,, UNDERSTOOD THEM  AS BELONGING MANY MILES ,,:-*$$##@
#@##$$*-:,                  AWAY.                   ,:-*$$##@#
@##$$*-:,,                                          ,,:-*$$##@
##$$*-:,,, I   EXAMINED  THE  RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE ,,,:-*$$##
#$$*-:,,,, ABOVE.  WAS  THIS WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, ,,,,:-*$$#
$$*-:,,,,, FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T ,,,,,:-*$$
$*-:,,,,,,                 REMEMBER.                ,,,,,,:-*$
$$*-:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:-*$$
#$$*-:,,,, CARRYING  FORWARD, ON  THE  VERY TIP  OF ,,,,:-*$$#
##$$*-:,,, THE ESKER, I  FOUND  THE  RUINS OF  SOME ,,,:-*$$##
@##$$*-:,,    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    ,,:-*$$##@
#@##$$*-:, MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH  ,:-*$$##@#
@##$$*-:,, THE  MOSS,  AND  STRANGE  SLABS INSERTED ,,:-*$$##@
##$$*-:,,, INTO THE SLOPE  LIKE  DAMS  AGAINST  THE ,,,:-*$$##
#$$*-:,,,,              GROUND ITSELF.              ,,,,:-*$$#
$$*-:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:-*$$
$*-:,,,,,, SITTING  THERE, I COULD  SEE ACROSS  THE ,,,,,,:-*$
$$*-:,,,,, NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE  I ,,,,,:-*$$
#$$*-:,,,, SAT: FROM  THE  STAIRWELL  OF  MY HOUSE, ,,,,:-*$$#
##$$*-:,,, THROUGH  THE OLD  WOODS  BEHIND THE TILE ,,,:-*$$##
@##$$*-:,,      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      ,,:-*$$##@
#@##$$*-:, TWENTY THREE  AND  THEN  BACK  UNDER IT, ,:-*$$##@#
@##$$*-:,, THROUGH  THE  FANCY  VILLAS,   OVER  THE ,,:-*$$##@
##$$*-:,,, FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN  AT THE ,,,:-*$$##
#$$*-:,,,,                  FORK.                   ,,,,:-*$$#
$$*-:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:-*$$
$*-:,,,,,, AND  THEN THE  STAIRS  UP ON  THE RIDGE. ,,,,,,:-*$
$$*-:,,,,, THINKING  BACK,  THIS  WAS  PROBABLY IT. ,,,,,:-*$$
#$$*-:,,,, HIDDEN  IN  A GROVE, THERE  WERE  STAIRS ,,,,:-*$$#
##$$*-:,,, MUCH LIKE THE  ONES I CURRENTLY  SAT ON, ,,,:-*$$##
@##$$*-:,, OLD  AND  WORN DOWN,  THAT  LEAD  YOU UP ,,:-*$$##@
#@##$$*-:, ONTO  THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD ,:-*$$##@#
@##$$*-:,, I  INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH  AT ITS ,,:-*$$##@
##$$*-:,,, FOOT,  I'M  SURE MY  EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE ,,,:-*$$##
#$$*-:,,,,          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          ,,,,:-*$$#
$$*-:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:-*$$
$*-:,,,,,, ---------------------------------------- ,,,,,,:-*$
$$*-:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:-*$$
#$$*-:,,,, ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE   IN ,,,,:-*$$#
##$$*-:,,, BOATS. I  WONDERED, COULD  THEY EVEN SEE ,,,:-*$$##
@##$$*-:,, ME?  IF  I  SHOUTED, WOULD THEY  TURN TO ,,:-*$$##@
#@##$$*-:,         STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?          ,:-*$$##@#
@##$$*-:,,                                          ,,:-*$$##@
##$$*-:,,,                                          ,,,:-*$$##
#$$*-:,,,,                                          ,,,,:-*$$#
$$*-:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:-*$$
$*-:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:-*$