.@@..@...@ @.@.@..@@.
.@.@.@@..@ .@@@@@.@.@
@@@@@@.@.@ .@....@@@@
......@@@@ .@@...@...
......@... @@.@..@@..
......@@.. 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? @...@..@.@
.@..@...@. @@..@@.@@@
@@@.@@..@@ @.@.@.@@..
@..@@.@.@. .@@@@@@.@.
@@.@.@@@@@ @@.....@@@
..@@@@.... @.@....@..