,,^~†=$### ###$=†~^,,
,^~†=$#### ####$=†~^,
,,^~†=$### ###$=†~^,,
,,,^~†=$## ##$=†~^,,,
,,,,^~†=$# #$=†~^,,,,
,,,,,^~†=$ 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? #$=†~^,,,,
,,,,,^~†=$ $=†~^,,,,,
,,,,,,^~†= =†~^,,,,,,
,,,,,^~†=$ $=†~^,,,,,
,,,,^~†=$# #$=†~^,,,,
,,,^~†=$## ##$=†~^,,,