§.§.§.§..§                                          §§§.§.§..§
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§.§.§.§.§.                WINDS ESKER               §.§.§.§.§.
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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.                §.§.§.§.§.
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§.§.§.§.§. 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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