@@,@@,@@,@ @,@,@,,@,@
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,,,@@,@@,@ ,,,,,,,,@,
,,,@@,@@,@ 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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