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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? &¨&&¨&¨&¨&
¨&¨&¨&&¨&¨ &¨¨&¨&¨&¨&
¨&¨&¨¨&¨&¨ &¨&&¨&¨&¨&
¨&¨&¨&&¨&¨ &¨¨&¨&¨&¨&
¨&¨&¨¨&¨&¨ &¨&&¨&¨&¨&
¨&¨&¨&&¨&¨ &¨¨&¨&¨&¨&