,,,,,,«%&@ @&%«,,,,,,
,,«;%%%&@@ @@&%%%;«,,
,,«;%%&&@# #@&&%%;«,,
,,«;;;%&@@ @@&%;;;«,,
,,,,,,,;%& &%;,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,;%@ 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? @%%«,,,,,,
,,,,;%%%&& &&%%%;,,,,
,,,,,;%% #&%%;,,,,,
,,«;%%&@## ##@&%%;«,,
,,,,««%&&& &&&%««,,,,
,,,,,«;%@@ @@%;«,,,,,