@@@..@.@@. @@@.@...@@
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.@@@..@@@. .@..@.@@..
@..@.@..@. @@.@@@.@..
@.@@@@.@@. .@@..@@@.@
@@...@@.@@ 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? ..@@@..@..
@@.@.@.@.. .@..@.@@..
.@@@@@@@.@ @@.@@@.@.@
@......@@@ .@@..@@@@@
@.....@... @.@.@.....
@....@@..@ @@@@@....@