.~~*=*¤¶## ##¶¤*=*~~.
..~~*=*¤¶# #¶¤*=*~~..
...~~*=*¤¶ ¶¤*=*~~...
....~~*=*¤ ¤*=*~~....
.....~~*=* *=*~~.....
......~~*= 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? *=*~~.....
......~~*= =*~~......
.....~~*=* *=*~~.....
....~~*=*¤ ¤*=*~~....
...~~*=*¤¶ ¶¤*=*~~...
..~~*=*¤¶# #¶¤*=*~~..