..@@@@.... .@@@......
@..@@..@@@ ..@..@@@@@
........@@ ......@@@@
.@@@@@@..@ @@@@@..@@.
..@@@@.... .@@@......
@..@@..@@@ 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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@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@