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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?         ,,,,,,-*%£
#£%««-,,,,                                          ,,,,-««%£#
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#££§*-,,,,                                          ,,,,-*§££#