†=:....... .......:=†
%†=:...... ......:=†%
%%†=:..... .....:=†%%
§%%†=:.... ....:=†%%§
#§%%†=:... ...:=†%%§#
@#§%%†=:.. 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? ...:=†%%§#
@#§%%†=:.. ..:=†%%§#@
#@#§%%†=:. .:=†%%§#@#
@#§%%†=:.. ..:=†%%§#@
#§%%†=:... ...:=†%%§#
§%%†=:.... ....:=†%%§