@,,,,,,@@, @,,,@@@,,,
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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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