¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###                                          ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###                                          ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###               WINDS ESKER                ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### ---------------------------------------- ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###                                          ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### THERE WAS THIS PLACE  THAT FOR TWO YEARS ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### I COULDN'T GO TO.  REGARDLESS  HOW  MUCH ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### DISCUSSED  WITH OTHERS,  OR POINTED  OUT ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### ON MAPS, I  COULD  NOT THINK OF  IT WHEN ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### ALONE.  I WOULD  OFTEN TRAVEL  PAST  THE ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### FORK, WHERE  A RIGHT  TURN  WOULD SURELY ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### TAKE ME THERE, BUT  EVEN THEN, SOMETHING ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###               KEPT ME AWAY.              ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### WHEN  I FINALLY  GOT THERE,  AFTER  SOME ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### ASSUME,  THE  PLACE   WAS  SURREAL.   AN ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### ESKER,  LIKE  A NEEDLE-THIN RIFT  OUT IN ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### THE  LAKE,   BUT  TEN  METERS  HIGH  AND ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### ADORNED  IN BIRCH, WILLOW,  BRACKEN, AND ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###               BLUEBERRIES.               ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### NOTICE  THE VIEW  TO EITHER  SIDE. THERE ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### DIDN'T RECOGNIZE  THEM. FIRST OFF,  THEY ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### WERE MUCH  TOO CLOSE, AS THE LAKE SHOULD ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### STRETCH  FOR A  HUNDRED METERS  MORE  ON ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW  I  FELT I  COULD ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### ALMOST REACH OUT  AND  TOUCH  THEM.  AND ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### THEN, WHEN  I REALIZED WHICH SHORES THEY ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###                                          ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### THEY  WERE OF  THE  RIGHT LAKE. BUT THIS ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###      LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND       ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### BIPARTITE.  LIKE A PAIR OF  LUNGS CARVED ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH  NO LESS THAN ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####     IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY    ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING  MANY MILES ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                   AWAY.                  ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###                                          ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### I   EXAMINED  THE  RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### ABOVE. WAS  THIS  WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###                 REMEMBER.                ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### CARRYING FORWARD, ON  THE  VERY  TIP  OF ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### THE  ESKER, I FOUND  THE RUINS  OF  SOME ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####  MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### THE  MOSS, AND  STRANGE  SLABS  INSERTED ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### INTO  THE  SLOPE LIKE  DAMS  AGAINST THE ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###              GROUND ITSELF.              ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### SITTING  THERE,  I  COULD SEE ACROSS THE ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO  WHERE I ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### SAT:  FROM  THE  STAIRWELL  OF MY HOUSE, ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### THROUGH THE OLD  WOODS  BEHIND  THE TILE ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### TWENTY THREE AND  THEN  BACK  UNDER  IT, ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### THROUGH  THE  FANCY   VILLAS,  OVER  THE ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN  AT THE ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###                   FORK.                  ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### AND THEN THE  STAIRS  UP  ON  THE RIDGE. ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### THINKING  BACK,  THIS WAS  PROBABLY  IT. ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### HIDDEN  IN  A GROVE, THERE  WERE  STAIRS ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### MUCH LIKE  THE ONES I CURRENTLY  SAT ON, ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### OLD  AND WORN  DOWN,  THAT  LEAD YOU  UP ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT  OF ENTRY. HAD ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### I INSTED OPTED TO  WALK THE PATH  AT ITS ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### FOOT, I'M  SURE  MY EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### ---------------------------------------- ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### ON  THE   LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE  IN ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%#### BOATS.  I WONDERED, COULD THEY  EVEN SEE ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%### ME? IF  I  SHOUTED,  WOULD THEY  TURN TO ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###                                          ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###                                          ###%$^-^¨¨
¨^-^$%####                                          ####%$^-^¨
¨¨^-^$%###                                          ###%$^-^¨¨