¨,»*%¤@@## ##@@¤%*»,¨
¨¨,»*%¤@@# #@@¤%*»,¨¨
¨¨¨,»*%¤@@ @@¤%*»,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,»*%¤@ @¤%*»,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,»*%¤@@ @@¤%*»,¨¨¨
¨¨,»*%¤@@# 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? ##@@¤%*»,¨
¨¨,»*%¤@@# #@@¤%*»,¨¨
¨¨¨,»*%¤@@ @@¤%*»,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,»*%¤@ @¤%*»,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,»*%¤@@ @@¤%*»,¨¨¨
¨¨,»*%¤@@# #@@¤%*»,¨¨