.,«^&@#@##                                          ##@#@&^«,.
..,«^&@#@#                                          #@#@&^«,..
...,«^&@#@                                          @#@&^«,...
....,«^&@#                                          #@&^«,....
...,«^&@#@                                          @#@&^«,...
..,«^&@#@#                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?         ##@#@&^«,.
..,«^&@#@#                                          #@#@&^«,..
...,«^&@#@                                          @#@&^«,...
....,«^&@#                                          #@&^«,....
...,«^&@#@                                          @#@&^«,...
..,«^&@#@#                                          #@#@&^«,..