§§,§§,,§§,                                          §§,,§§,§§,
,§,,§,§,§,                                          §§,§,§,,§,
§§,§§,§,§,                                          ,§,§,§,§§,
,§,,§,§,§,                                          §§,§,§,,§,
§§,§§,§,§,                                          ,§,§,§,§§,
,§,,§,§,§,                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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§§,§§,§,§,                                          ,§,§,§,§§,
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