.,-**§¤@## ##@¤§**-,.
..,-**§¤@# #@¤§**-,..
...,-**§¤@ @¤§**-,...
....,-**§¤ ¤§**-,....
.....,-**§ §**-,.....
......,-** 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? ##@¤§**-,.
..,-**§¤@# #@¤§**-,..
...,-**§¤@ @¤§**-,...
....,-**§¤ ¤§**-,....
.....,-**§ §**-,.....
......,-** **-,......