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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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