,^~**$&@@#                                          #@@&$**~^,
,^~**$&@@#                                          #@@&$**~^,
,,,,,^~*&&                                          &&*~^,,,,,
,^~**$&@@@                                          @@@&$**~^,
,^~**$&@@@                                          @@@&$**~^,
,,,^^~~*&@                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.          &**~~,,,,,
,^~**$&@##                                          ##@&$**~^,
,,,,,^~*$& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ &$*~^,,,,,
,^~**$&@@#                                          #@@&$**~^,
,^~**$&&&@ ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE   WERE  PEOPLE  IN @&&&$**~^,
,,^^~**$@@ BOATS. I WONDERED,  COULD THEY  EVEN SEE @@$**~^^,,
,,,,^~*$@@ ME? IF I  SHOUTED,  WOULD THEY  TURN  TO @@$*~^,,,,
,^~**$&@@#          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         #@@&$**~^,
,^~**$&@##                                          ##@&$**~^,
,^~**$&@@#                                          #@@&$**~^,
,,,^~~**$@                                          @$**~~^,,,
,^~**$&@##                                          ##@&$**~^,
,,,,~~*&&&                                          &&&*~~,,,,