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##¶§¤%^=:. ======================================== .:=^%¤§¶##
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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. .:=^%¤§¶##
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¶¶¤¤%==::. 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 .....:=%§¶
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##¶§¤%^=:. 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. .:=^%¤¤¤§§
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¶§§¤¤%^=:. 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 .:=^%¤§¶##
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##¶§¤%^=:. FORK. .:=^%¤§¶##
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##¶§¤%^=:. 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 .:=^%¤§¶##
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#¶¶§¤%^=:. I INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT ITS .:=^%¤§¶¶#
##¶§¤%^=:. FOOT, I'M SURE MY EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE .:=^%¤§¶##
§§¤%^=::.. BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED. ..::=^%¤§§
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##¶§¤%^=:. ======================================== .:=^%¤§¶##
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§§§¤^:.... BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN SEE ....:^¤§§§
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