.,~^=%&& #&&&%=^~,.
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.,~^=%&@## 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 ###&%=^~,.
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.,~^=%## 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. &%%%==^~,.
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....~^== 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. @&%%^~,,..
.,~^=%@# #@#&%=^~,.
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...~^==%%& 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. &&&&%=^~,.
.,~~~~==%# #%==~~~~,.
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.,~^=%@@ 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? #@#&%=^~,.
.....~^=%& &%=^~.....
.,~~~^^=&@ @&=^^~~~,.
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.,~^=%## ###&%=^~,.
.,~^=%%%## ##%%%=^~,.