,,,§,,,§,,                                          ,,,§,§§§§,
,,,§§,,§§,                                          §,,§§§,,,§
§,,§,§,§,§                                          ,§,§,,§,,§
,§,§§§§§§§                                          ,§§§§,§§,§
§§§§,,,,,,                                          ,§,,,§§,§§
,,,,§,,,,,               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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