.....=*%## ##%*=.....
.....~=^^# #^^=~.....
.....~*%## ##%*~.....
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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 #@¶#%^*=~.
.~====^%¶@ T4K3 M3 TH3RE, BUT 3VEN TH3N, SOM3TH1NG @¶%^====~.
...~~~*%¶@ K3PT M3 4WAY. @¶%*~~~...
~=*^%#¶@## ##@¶#%^*=~
.~=*^%#¶@# 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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.~=*^%#¶@# 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. #@¶#%^*=~.
.....~*%#@ @#%*~.....
.~=*^%#¶@# TH3Y W3RE OF TH3 R1GHT L4K3. BUT TH1S #@¶#%^*=~.
.~=*^%#¶@# 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. ¶¶##%^*=~.
.....~=*^# #^*=~.....
.~*^%#¶@## 1 3X4M1NED TH3 R1DG3, TH3 TR3EL1NE ##@¶#%^*~.
...~**^^## 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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