,,-«†^$&##                                          ##&$^†«-,,
,,,-«†^$&#                                          #&$^†«-,,,
,,,,-«†^$&                                          &$^†«-,,,,
,,,,,-«†^$                                          $^†«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«†^                                          ^†«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«†^$               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 $^†«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«†^          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         ^†«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«†^$                                          $^†«-,,,,,
,,,,-«†^$&                                          &$^†«-,,,,
,,,-«†^$&#                                          #&$^†«-,,,
,,-«†^$&##                                          ##&$^†«-,,
,-«†^$&###                                          ###&$^†«-,