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