,~«^^§§§@@                                          @@§§§^^«~,
,~«^§@#@##                                          ##@#@§^«~,
,~«^§£@#@@                                          @@#@£§^«~,
,~«^§£@###                                          ###@£§^«~,
,,,,,,«§@@                                          @@§«,,,,,,
,~«^§£@###                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?         #@#@£§^«~,
,~«^§£@#@@                                          @@#@£§^«~,
~«^§£@#@##                                          ##@#@£§^«~
,~«««§££@@                                          @@££§«««~,
,,,,,~«§@@                                          @@§«~,,,,,
,~«^§£@#@@                                          @@#@£§^«~,