§§§,,§,,,§                                          ,§§,,,§§,,
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§,,§§§§§§§                                          ,,§§,,,,,§
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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.          ,,§,§§§,§,
§§,,,,,,§,                                          ,§§§,,§§§§
,§,,,,,§§, ---------------------------------------- §,,§,§,,,,
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,§,,,§§§§§ 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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