,,,#,##,##                                          ##,,##,,#,
,,,###,##,                                          #,#,#,#,##
#,,#,,##,#                                          #########,
##,##,#,##                                          ,,,,,,,,,#
,,##,####,                                          #,,,,,,,,#
#,#,##,,,#                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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