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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, $;~-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~; OLD AND WORN DOWN, THAT LEAD YOU UP ;~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~ ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD ~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- I INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT ITS -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~ FOOT, I'M SURE MY EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE ~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~; BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED. ;~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-~;$ $;~-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-~;$¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤$;~-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~;$¤£ £¤$;~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~;$¤£# 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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