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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? @,@,@,@,@,
@,@,@,@,@, @,@,@,@,@,
@,@,@,@,@, @,@,@,@,@,
@,@,@,@,@, @,@,@,@,@,
@,@,@,@,@, @,@,@,@,@,
@,@,@,@,@, @,@,@,@,@,