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§,,,,§§,,,                WINDS ESKER               §§,,§,,§§§
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§§§§,,,,§§ 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.               ,,§§§,,,,§
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§,,,,§§§§§ 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.          ,,,,§§§§§,
,,§§§§,,§§                                          §§§,,§§§,,
§,,§§,,,,§ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ §§,,,,§,,§
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§§§§§,,,,§ 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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