.~«==§#@@#                                          #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§###@                                          @###§==«~.
.~«==§#@##                                          ##@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@@                                          @@@#§==«~.
...~««==§#                                          #§==««~...
....~~~«=#                W1NDS 3SKER               #=«~~~....
.~«==§#@## «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ##@#§==«~.
.....«==§#                                          #§==«.....
.~««===§#@ TH3RE W4S TH1S PL4C3 TH4T  FOR TWO Y34RS @#§===««~.
.~«==§#@@# 1  COULDN'T GO  TO.  R3G4RDLESS HOW MUCH #@@#§==«~.
.....««==# D1SCUSS3D  W1TH  OTH3RS, OR  PO1NT3D OUT #==««.....
.~«====§#@ ON M4PS, 1  COULD  NOT TH1NK OF 1T  WH3N @#§====«~.
....«====# 4LON3. 1  WOULD  OFT3N TR4V3L  P4ST  TH3 #====«....
....«====# FORK, WH3RE  4 R1GHT  TURN WOULD  SUR3LY #====«....
~«==§#@@## T4K3 M3  TH3RE, BUT 3VEN TH3N, SOM3TH1NG ##@@#§==«~
.~«=====##               K3PT M3 4WAY.              ##=====«~.
..~««««=§#                                          #§=««««~..
......~«=# WH3N  1 F1N4LLY GOT  TH3RE,  4FT3R  SOM3 #=«~......
.~«=====§#     H34VY SUBCONSC1OUS B4TTL3 1 MUST     #§=====«~.
.~«====§#@ 4SSUM3,  TH3  PL4C3   W4S   SURR34L.  4N @#§====«~.
.~«==§#@@# 3SKER, L1K3 4  N3EDLE-TH1N  R1FT  OUT 1N #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@# TH3  L4K3,  BUT  T3N  M3TERS  H1GH   4ND #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@# 4DORN3D 1N  B1RCH, W1LLOW,  BR4CK3N, 4ND #@@#§==«~.
....«==§§@               BLU3BERR1ES.               @§§==«....
.~«==§#@@#                                          #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@# W4LK1NG  4TOP  TH4T  SP1N3,  1  C4M3  TO #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@# NOT1C3  TH3  V13W TO 31THER S1D3.  TH3RE #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@## SHOULD  B3  SHOR3S,  OF  COURS3,  BUT  1 ##@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@# D1DN'T R3COGN1ZE  TH3M. F1RST  OFF, TH3Y #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§@@## W3RE MUCH TOO CLOS3, 4S TH3  L4K3 SHOULD ##@@§==«~.
.....~==§@ STR3TCH FOR 4  HUNDR3D  M3TERS  MOR3  ON @§==~.....
...~«=§§@@ BOTH  S1D3S.  BUT  NOW  1  F3LT  1 COULD @@§§=«~...
.~«==§#@@# 4LMOST R34CH  OUT  4ND TOUCH  TH3M.  4ND #@@#§==«~.
......«=§@ TH3N, WH3N 1 R34L1ZED  WH1CH SHOR3S TH3Y @§=«......
.~«==§#@@#           W3RE, 1 H4D TO STOP.           #@@#§==«~.
......«=§#                                          #§=«......
.~«==§#@@# TH3Y  W3RE OF TH3  R1GHT L4K3. BUT  TH1S #@@#§==«~.
..~~«=§§§#      L4K3 1S L4RG3, FR4CTUR3D, 4ND       #§§§=«~~..
.~«==§#@@# B1P4RTIT3.  L1K3 4 P41R OF  LUNGS C4RV3D #@@#§==«~.
.....«=§#@ 1NTO  TH3 GR4N1T3, 4ND W1TH NO L3SS TH4N @#§=«.....
.~«==§@@##   F1V3 COMMUN1TI3S 4NCHOR3D 4T V4R1OUS   ##@@§==«~.
....~====#      PO1NTS. 4ND SO, STUDY1NG TH3SE      #====~....
.~«==§##@@     1MPOSSIBLY CLOS3 SHOR3S, 1 SLOWLY    @@##§==«~.
.~«==§###@ UND3RSTOOD TH3M  4S B3LONG1NG M4NY M1L3S @###§==«~.
.~«==§#@@#                   4WAY.                  #@@#§==«~.
.~«=§#@@##                                          ##@@#§=«~.
.....~===# 1  3X4M1NED  TH3  R1DG3,   TH3  TR3EL1NE #===~.....
.~««====§# 4BOV3.  W4S TH1S WH4T YOU  S4W OPPOS1T3, #§====««~.
.~«==§#@## FROM  THOS3  OTH3R  SHOR3S?  1  COULDN'T ##@#§==«~.
....~=§§@@                R3MEMBER.                 @@§§=~....
.....~=§@@                                          @@§=~.....
..~~====§# C4RRY1NG  FORW4RD,  ON  TH3  V3RY T1P OF #§====~~..
....~=§#@@ TH3 3SKER, 1  FOUND  TH3  RU1NS  OF SOM3 @@#§=~....
....~~==§@    OLD BU1LDING. TH3RE W3RE OV3RGROWN    @§==~~....
....~====# M4RBL3 ST41RCAS3S, STON3 FLOORS B3NE4TH  #====~....
....~«=§§@ TH3  MOSS,  4ND  STR4NG3  SL4BS 1NS3RTED @§§=«~....
.~«==§#@@@ 1NTO  TH3 SLOP3  L1K3 D4MS  4GA1NST  TH3 @@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@##              GROUND 1TS3LF.              ##@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@#                                          #@@#§==«~.
.~««==§§#@ S1TTING TH3RE, 1  COULD S3E  4CROSS  TH3 @#§§==««~.
....~~«=#@ N4RROW3D L4K3 MY 3NT1RE P4TH TO WH3RE  1 @#=«~~....
.~«==§#@@@ S4T:  FROM TH3  ST41RW3LL OF  MY  HOUS3, @@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@## THROUGH  TH3 OLD  WOODS B3H1ND  TH3 T1L3 ##@#§==«~.
......~«=#      F4CTORY, TH3 BR1DG3 OV3R ROUT3      #=«~......
.~«==§#@## TW3NTY THREE  4ND  TH3N  B4CK  UND3R 1T, ##@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@# THROUGH   TH3  F4NCY  V1LL4S,  OV3R  TH3 #@@#§==«~.
....«=§#@@ F13LDS, 4ND TH3N  TH4T R1GHT TURN 4T TH3 @@#§=«....
.~«==§#@@@                   FORK.                  @@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@@                                          @@@#§==«~.
......«==# 4ND TH3N  TH3 ST41RS  UP  ON TH3  R1DG3. #==«......
...~««=#@@ TH1NKING  B4CK, TH1S  W4S  PROB4BLY  1T. @@#=««~...
.~«===§§## H1DD3N  1N  4  GROV3, TH3RE  W3RE ST41RS ##§§===«~.
.....«=§#@ MUCH L1K3 TH3 ON3S  1 CURR3NTLY S4T  ON, @#§=«.....
.~«==§#@@# OLD  4ND WORN  DOWN, TH4T  L34D  YOU  UP #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@# ONTO TH3 3SKER. TH3  PO1NT OF 3NTRY. H4D #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@# 1  1NST3D OPT3D TO  W4LK TH3 P4TH 4T 1TS #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@# FOOT, 1'M  SUR3  MY 3XPER1ENCE  WOULD'V3 #@@#§==«~.
.~«==#@@##          B3EN D1FF3RENT 1ND3ED.          ##@@#==«~.
.~«==§#@@@                                          @@@#§==«~.
.~«====##@ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« @##====«~.
.~«==§#@@#                                          #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@# ON  TH3  L4K3,  TH3RE  W3RE  P3OPLE   1N #@@#§==«~.
....~~==## BO4TS. 1 WOND3RED, COULD TH3Y  3VEN  S3E ##==~~....
..~~«««=§# M3? 1F  1 SHOUT3D,  WOULD  TH3Y  TURN TO #§=«««~~..
.~«=§#@@##          ST4R3 R1GHT THROUGH M3?         ##@@#§=«~.
.~«==§#@##                                          ##@#§==«~.
.~«==§#@@#                                          #@@#§==«~.
.~«==§##@@                                          @@##§==«~.
.~«==§#@@#                                          #@@#§==«~.
....~«=§#@                                          @#§=«~....