.,»*%%§#@@ @@#§%%*»,.
.,»**%%### ###%%**»,.
...,»%§### ###§%»,...
.,»*%§#@## ##@#§%*»,.
......»%#@ @#%»......
.....,»%## 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? ##@#§%*»,.
.,»*%§#@## ##@#§%*»,.
.,»*%§#@## ##@#§%*»,.
....,,»%§@ @§%»,,....
....,»**§@ @§**»,....
.,»*%§##@# #@##§%*»,.