,,,,^«/*§#                                          #§*/«^,,,,
,,,,,^«/*§                                          §*/«^,,,,,
,,,,,,^«/*                                          */«^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^«/                                          /«^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^«                                          «^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^«/               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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,,,,,,,^«/                                          /«^,,,,,,,