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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.              ,§,,§,,,,§
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,§§§,,,,,, 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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,§§§,,,,,, ======================================== §,,§,,§,,,
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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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