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.~=;†£#### DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS, OR POINTED  OUT ####£†;=~.
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.~=;†££### ALONE.  I  WOULD  OFTEN TRAVEL PAST  THE ###££†;=~.
.~=;†££### FORK, WHERE  A  RIGHT TURN WOULD  SURELY ###££†;=~.
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.....~=†£# 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.               ££††;~~~..
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.~=;†££### 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.           ££†=~~~...
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.~=;†££### 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.                  #££†;~....
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.~=;†££### I   EXAMINED  THE  RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE ###££†;=~.
.~=;†££### ABOVE. WAS  THIS WHAT YOU SAW  OPPOSITE, ###££†;=~.
...~;††£££ FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T £££††;~...
....~=†££#                REMEMBER.                 #££†=~....
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...~===;£# 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.              ££†=......
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.~=;†££££# 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.                   ###££†;=~.
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.~=;††£££# 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.          £†===.....
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.~=;†££### 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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