#¨¨¨¨##### ¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨##¨¨#### #¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
#¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨ ¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨####¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
#¨¨##¨¨### ###¨¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨## 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? ##########
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