,,--////*£                                          £*////--,,
,,-/*%££##                                          ##££%*/-,,
,,-/***£££                                          £££***/-,,
,,-/*%££##                                          ##££%*/-,,
,,-//**%£#                                          #£%**//-,,
,,-/*%£££#                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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