,,,,»»%**#                                          #**%»»,,,,
,,»;%*&###                                          ###&*%;»,,
,,»;%*&###                                          ###&*%;»,,
,,»;%*&###                                          ###&*%;»,,
,,,,»%%&##                                          ##&%%»,,,,
,,»;%*&###               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?          ##*;;;»»,,
,,»;%*&###                                          ###&*%;»,,
,,»;%*&###                                          ###&*%;»,,
,,»;%*&###                                          ###&*%;»,,
,,»;%*&###                                          ###&*%;»,,
,,»;%*&###                                          ###&*%;»,,