.:~***&@## ##@&***~:.
....~***@@ @@***~....
.::::~***& &***~::::.
.:~***&@## ##@&***~:.
......~**@ @**~......
.:~***&@@# 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? @**~:::...
...:::~**& &**~:::...
.....::**& &**::.....
.....~**&& &&**~.....
.:~***&&&@ @&&&***~:.
.:~***&@@@ @@@&***~:.