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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.               £#*-^^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-**#£                                          £#**-¨¨¨¨¨
¨^-;;*%#£# 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.          ##£#%*;-^¨
¨^-;*%#£##                                          ##£#%*;-^¨
¨^-;*%#££# ---------------------------------------- #££#%*;-^¨
¨^-;*%####                                          ####%*;-^¨
¨^-;*%#£## 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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