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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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