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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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