...~=:$#@#                                          #@#$:=~...
....~=:$#@                                          @#$:=~....
.....~=:$#                                          #$:=~.....
......~=:$                                          $:=~......
.......~=:                                          :=~.......
......~=:$                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?          #@#$:=~...
....~=:$#@                                          @#$:=~....
.....~=:$#                                          #$:=~.....
......~=:$                                          $:=~......
.......~=:                                          :=~.......
......~=:$                                          $:=~......