.&&&.....& &..&.&&.&&
.&.&&..... .&...&&.&&
...&&&.... ..&..&&.&&
&..&.&&... &..&.&&.&&
&&...&&&.. &&...&&.&.
&&&..&.&&. 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? ..&.&&....
.&........ ....&&&...
..&....... &...&.&&..
...&...... &&....&&&.
....&..... &&&...&.&&
&....&.... &.&&....&&