,,,,,~~\*¤                                          ¤*\~~,,,,,
,,,,==\*¤¶                                          ¶¤*\==,,,,
,,,,,~\*¤¤                                          ¤¤*\~,,,,,
,~=\*¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤*\=~,
,,,,~=**¤¶                                          ¶¤**=~,,,,
,~=\*¤¤¶##                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?         ###¤¤*\=~,
,~=\*¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤*\=~,
,~=\*¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤*\=~,
,~=\*¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤*\=~,
~=\*¤¤¶###                                          ###¶¤¤*\=~
,,,,,,,=*¤                                          ¤*=,,,,,,,