¨¨¨¨¨^\==§                                          §==\^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^\@§                                          §@\^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~\@@#                                          #@@\~~¨¨¨¨
¨^~\=@§@##                                          ##@§@=\~^¨
¨^~\=@§@##                                          ##@§@=\~^¨
¨^~\=@§@##                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?          ##@§@=\~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=@@@                                          @@@=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~\=@§@##                                          ##@§@=\~^¨
¨^~\=@§@##                                          ##@§@=\~^¨
¨^~\=@@@@@                                          @@@@@=\~^¨
¨^~\=@§@##                                          ##@§@=\~^¨