#@@#%%*«-. .-«*%%#@@#
@##%«..... .....«%##@
@@#%%««-.. ..-««%%#@@
@@@#%%*«-. .-«*%%#@@@
##@@%%*«-. .-«*%%@@##
@#%%*-.... 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? .....«%#@@
@@%%%**«-. .-«**%%%@@
#%*«...... ......«*%#
#%%«-..... .....-«%%#
@@@#%%*«-. .-«*%%#@@@
#@@#%%*«-. .-«*%%#@@#