.,~\*%§### ###§%*\~,.
..,~\*%§## ##§%*\~,..
...,~\*%§# #§%*\~,...
....,~\*%§ §%*\~,....
.....,~\*% %*\~,.....
......,~\* W1NDS 3SKER *\~,......
.......,~\ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \~,.......
........,~ ~,........
........., TH3RE W4S TH1S PL4C3 TH4T FOR TWO Y34RS ,.........
........,~ 1 COULDN'T GO TO. R3G4RDLESS HOW MUCH ~,........
.......,~\ D1SCUSS3D W1TH OTH3RS, OR PO1NT3D OUT \~,.......
......,~\* ON M4PS, 1 COULD NOT TH1NK OF 1T WH3N *\~,......
.....,~\*% 4LON3. 1 WOULD OFT3N TR4V3L P4ST TH3 %*\~,.....
....,~\*%§ FORK, WH3RE 4 R1GHT TURN WOULD SUR3LY §%*\~,....
...,~\*%§# T4K3 M3 TH3RE, BUT 3VEN TH3N, SOM3TH1NG #§%*\~,...
..,~\*%§## K3PT M3 4WAY. ##§%*\~,..
.,~\*%§### ###§%*\~,.
..,~\*%§## WH3N 1 F1N4LLY GOT TH3RE, 4FT3R SOM3 ##§%*\~,..
...,~\*%§# H34VY SUBCONSC1OUS B4TTL3 1 MUST #§%*\~,...
....,~\*%§ 4SSUM3, TH3 PL4C3 W4S SURR34L. 4N §%*\~,....
.....,~\*% 3SKER, L1K3 4 N3EDLE-TH1N R1FT OUT 1N %*\~,.....
......,~\* TH3 L4K3, BUT T3N M3TERS H1GH 4ND *\~,......
.......,~\ 4DORN3D 1N B1RCH, W1LLOW, BR4CK3N, 4ND \~,.......
........,~ BLU3BERR1ES. ~,........
........., ,.........
........,~ W4LK1NG 4TOP TH4T SP1N3, 1 C4M3 TO ~,........
.......,~\ NOT1C3 TH3 V13W TO 31THER S1D3. TH3RE \~,.......
......,~\* SHOULD B3 SHOR3S, OF COURS3, BUT 1 *\~,......
.....,~\*% D1DN'T R3COGN1ZE TH3M. F1RST OFF, TH3Y %*\~,.....
....,~\*%§ W3RE MUCH TOO CLOS3, 4S TH3 L4K3 SHOULD §%*\~,....
...,~\*%§# STR3TCH FOR 4 HUNDR3D M3TERS MOR3 ON #§%*\~,...
..,~\*%§## BOTH S1D3S. BUT NOW 1 F3LT 1 COULD ##§%*\~,..
.,~\*%§### 4LMOST R34CH OUT 4ND TOUCH TH3M. 4ND ###§%*\~,.
..,~\*%§## TH3N, WH3N 1 R34L1ZED WH1CH SHOR3S TH3Y ##§%*\~,..
...,~\*%§# W3RE, 1 H4D TO STOP. #§%*\~,...
....,~\*%§ §%*\~,....
.....,~\*% TH3Y W3RE OF TH3 R1GHT L4K3. BUT TH1S %*\~,.....
......,~\* L4K3 1S L4RG3, FR4CTUR3D, 4ND *\~,......
.......,~\ B1P4RTIT3. L1K3 4 P41R OF LUNGS C4RV3D \~,.......
........,~ 1NTO TH3 GR4N1T3, 4ND W1TH NO L3SS TH4N ~,........
........., F1V3 COMMUN1TI3S 4NCHOR3D 4T V4R1OUS ,.........
........,~ PO1NTS. 4ND SO, STUDY1NG TH3SE ~,........
.......,~\ 1MPOSSIBLY CLOS3 SHOR3S, 1 SLOWLY \~,.......
......,~\* UND3RSTOOD TH3M 4S B3LONG1NG M4NY M1L3S *\~,......
.....,~\*% 4WAY. %*\~,.....
....,~\*%§ §%*\~,....
...,~\*%§# 1 3X4M1NED TH3 R1DG3, TH3 TR3EL1NE #§%*\~,...
..,~\*%§## 4BOV3. W4S TH1S WH4T YOU S4W OPPOS1T3, ##§%*\~,..
.,~\*%§### FROM THOS3 OTH3R SHOR3S? 1 COULDN'T ###§%*\~,.
..,~\*%§## R3MEMBER. ##§%*\~,..
...,~\*%§# #§%*\~,...
....,~\*%§ C4RRY1NG FORW4RD, ON TH3 V3RY T1P OF §%*\~,....
.....,~\*% TH3 3SKER, 1 FOUND TH3 RU1NS OF SOM3 %*\~,.....
......,~\* OLD BU1LDING. TH3RE W3RE OV3RGROWN *\~,......
.......,~\ M4RBL3 ST41RCAS3S, STON3 FLOORS B3NE4TH \~,.......
........,~ TH3 MOSS, 4ND STR4NG3 SL4BS 1NS3RTED ~,........
........., 1NTO TH3 SLOP3 L1K3 D4MS 4GA1NST TH3 ,.........
........,~ GROUND 1TS3LF. ~,........
.......,~\ \~,.......
......,~\* S1TTING TH3RE, 1 COULD S3E 4CROSS TH3 *\~,......
.....,~\*% N4RROW3D L4K3 MY 3NT1RE P4TH TO WH3RE 1 %*\~,.....
....,~\*%§ S4T: FROM TH3 ST41RW3LL OF MY HOUS3, §%*\~,....
...,~\*%§# THROUGH TH3 OLD WOODS B3H1ND TH3 T1L3 #§%*\~,...
..,~\*%§## F4CTORY, TH3 BR1DG3 OV3R ROUT3 ##§%*\~,..
.,~\*%§### TW3NTY THREE 4ND TH3N B4CK UND3R 1T, ###§%*\~,.
..,~\*%§## THROUGH TH3 F4NCY V1LL4S, OV3R TH3 ##§%*\~,..
...,~\*%§# F13LDS, 4ND TH3N TH4T R1GHT TURN 4T TH3 #§%*\~,...
....,~\*%§ FORK. §%*\~,....
.....,~\*% %*\~,.....
......,~\* 4ND TH3N TH3 ST41RS UP ON TH3 R1DG3. *\~,......
.......,~\ TH1NKING B4CK, TH1S W4S PROB4BLY 1T. \~,.......
........,~ H1DD3N 1N 4 GROV3, TH3RE W3RE ST41RS ~,........
........., MUCH L1K3 TH3 ON3S 1 CURR3NTLY S4T ON, ,.........
........,~ OLD 4ND WORN DOWN, TH4T L34D YOU UP ~,........
.......,~\ ONTO TH3 3SKER. TH3 PO1NT OF 3NTRY. H4D \~,.......
......,~\* 1 1NST3D OPT3D TO W4LK TH3 P4TH 4T 1TS *\~,......
.....,~\*% FOOT, 1'M SUR3 MY 3XPER1ENCE WOULD'V3 %*\~,.....
....,~\*%§ B3EN D1FF3RENT 1ND3ED. §%*\~,....
...,~\*%§# #§%*\~,...
..,~\*%§## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##§%*\~,..
.,~\*%§### ###§%*\~,.
..,~\*%§## ON TH3 L4K3, TH3RE W3RE P3OPLE 1N ##§%*\~,..
...,~\*%§# BO4TS. 1 WOND3RED, COULD TH3Y 3VEN S3E #§%*\~,...
....,~\*%§ M3? 1F 1 SHOUT3D, WOULD TH3Y TURN TO §%*\~,....
.....,~\*% ST4R3 R1GHT THROUGH M3? %*\~,.....
......,~\* *\~,......
.......,~\ \~,.......
........,~ ~,........
........., ,.........
........,~ ~,........