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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.                ,,§,,§,,§,
§§,§§,§§§§                                          ,,§§,§§,§§
,,§§,§§,,, 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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