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¨~~**$#£@# THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS #@£#$**~~¨
¨¨¨¨~***$# I COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS HOW MUCH #$***~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~**$#@ DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS, OR POINTED OUT @#$**~¨¨¨¨
¨~~**$#£@# ON MAPS, I COULD NOT THINK OF IT WHEN #@£#$**~~¨
¨~~**$$$£@ ALONE. I WOULD OFTEN TRAVEL PAST THE @£$$$**~~¨
¨~~**$#£@@ FORK, WHERE A RIGHT TURN WOULD SURELY @@£#$**~~¨
¨~~**$#£@# TAKE ME THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING #@£#$**~~¨
¨~~**$#££@ KEPT ME AWAY. @££#$**~~¨
¨~~**$£@## ##@£$**~~¨
¨¨~~~*$$£@ WHEN I FINALLY GOT THERE, AFTER SOME @£$$*~~~¨¨
¨~~**$#£@# HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST #@£#$**~~¨
¨¨¨¨~~***# 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. @#*****~~¨
¨~~**$#£@# #@£#$**~~¨
¨¨~~~**$#£ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ £#$**~~~¨¨
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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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