....-~^@ #&@^~-....
...-~^@# ##&@^~-...
..-~^@## ###&@^~-..
.-~^@### ####&@^~-.
..-~^@## ###&@^~-..
...-~^@# W1NDS 3SKER ##&@^~-...
....-~^@ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #&@^~-....
.....-~^@& &@^~-.....
......-~^@ TH3RE W4S TH1S PL4C3 TH4T FOR TWO Y34RS @^~-......
.......-~^ 1 COULDN'T GO TO. R3G4RDLESS HOW MUCH ^~-.......
......-~^@ D1SCUSS3D W1TH OTH3RS, OR PO1NT3D OUT @^~-......
.....-~^@& ON M4PS, 1 COULD NOT TH1NK OF 1T WH3N &@^~-.....
....-~^@ 4LON3. 1 WOULD OFT3N TR4V3L P4ST TH3 #&@^~-....
...-~^@# FORK, WH3RE 4 R1GHT TURN WOULD SUR3LY ##&@^~-...
..-~^@## T4K3 M3 TH3RE, BUT 3VEN TH3N, SOM3TH1NG ###&@^~-..
.-~^@### K3PT M3 4WAY. ####&@^~-.
..-~^@## ###&@^~-..
...-~^@# WH3N 1 F1N4LLY GOT TH3RE, 4FT3R SOM3 ##&@^~-...
....-~^@ H34VY SUBCONSC1OUS B4TTL3 1 MUST #&@^~-....
.....-~^@& 4SSUM3, TH3 PL4C3 W4S SURR34L. 4N &@^~-.....
......-~^@ 3SKER, L1K3 4 N3EDLE-TH1N R1FT OUT 1N @^~-......
.......-~^ TH3 L4K3, BUT T3N M3TERS H1GH 4ND ^~-.......
......-~^@ 4DORN3D 1N B1RCH, W1LLOW, BR4CK3N, 4ND @^~-......
.....-~^@& BLU3BERR1ES. &@^~-.....
....-~^@ #&@^~-....
...-~^@# W4LK1NG 4TOP TH4T SP1N3, 1 C4M3 TO ##&@^~-...
..-~^@## NOT1C3 TH3 V13W TO 31THER S1D3. TH3RE ###&@^~-..
.-~^@### SHOULD B3 SHOR3S, OF COURS3, BUT 1 ####&@^~-.
..-~^@## D1DN'T R3COGN1ZE TH3M. F1RST OFF, TH3Y ###&@^~-..
...-~^@# W3RE MUCH TOO CLOS3, 4S TH3 L4K3 SHOULD ##&@^~-...
....-~^@ STR3TCH FOR 4 HUNDR3D M3TERS MOR3 ON #&@^~-....
.....-~^@& BOTH S1D3S. BUT NOW 1 F3LT 1 COULD &@^~-.....
......-~^@ 4LMOST R34CH OUT 4ND TOUCH TH3M. 4ND @^~-......
.......-~^ TH3N, WH3N 1 R34L1ZED WH1CH SHOR3S TH3Y ^~-.......
......-~^@ W3RE, 1 H4D TO STOP. @^~-......
.....-~^@& &@^~-.....
....-~^@ TH3Y W3RE OF TH3 R1GHT L4K3. BUT TH1S #&@^~-....
...-~^@# L4K3 1S L4RG3, FR4CTUR3D, 4ND ##&@^~-...
..-~^@## B1P4RTIT3. L1K3 4 P41R OF LUNGS C4RV3D ###&@^~-..
.-~^@### 1NTO TH3 GR4N1T3, 4ND W1TH NO L3SS TH4N ####&@^~-.
..-~^@## F1V3 COMMUN1TI3S 4NCHOR3D 4T V4R1OUS ###&@^~-..
...-~^@# PO1NTS. 4ND SO, STUDY1NG TH3SE ##&@^~-...
....-~^@ 1MPOSSIBLY CLOS3 SHOR3S, 1 SLOWLY #&@^~-....
.....-~^@& UND3RSTOOD TH3M 4S B3LONG1NG M4NY M1L3S &@^~-.....
......-~^@ 4WAY. @^~-......
.......-~^ ^~-.......
......-~^@ 1 3X4M1NED TH3 R1DG3, TH3 TR3EL1NE @^~-......
.....-~^@& 4BOV3. W4S TH1S WH4T YOU S4W OPPOS1T3, &@^~-.....
....-~^@ FROM THOS3 OTH3R SHOR3S? 1 COULDN'T #&@^~-....
...-~^@# R3MEMBER. ##&@^~-...
..-~^@## ###&@^~-..
.-~^@### C4RRY1NG FORW4RD, ON TH3 V3RY T1P OF ####&@^~-.
..-~^@## TH3 3SKER, 1 FOUND TH3 RU1NS OF SOM3 ###&@^~-..
...-~^@# OLD BU1LDING. TH3RE W3RE OV3RGROWN ##&@^~-...
....-~^@ M4RBL3 ST41RCAS3S, STON3 FLOORS B3NE4TH #&@^~-....
.....-~^@& TH3 MOSS, 4ND STR4NG3 SL4BS 1NS3RTED &@^~-.....
......-~^@ 1NTO TH3 SLOP3 L1K3 D4MS 4GA1NST TH3 @^~-......
.......-~^ GROUND 1TS3LF. ^~-.......
......-~^@ @^~-......
.....-~^@& S1TTING TH3RE, 1 COULD S3E 4CROSS TH3 &@^~-.....
....-~^@ N4RROW3D L4K3 MY 3NT1RE P4TH TO WH3RE 1 #&@^~-....
...-~^@# S4T: FROM TH3 ST41RW3LL OF MY HOUS3, ##&@^~-...
..-~^@## THROUGH TH3 OLD WOODS B3H1ND TH3 T1L3 ###&@^~-..
.-~^@### F4CTORY, TH3 BR1DG3 OV3R ROUT3 ####&@^~-.
..-~^@## TW3NTY THREE 4ND TH3N B4CK UND3R 1T, ###&@^~-..
...-~^@# THROUGH TH3 F4NCY V1LL4S, OV3R TH3 ##&@^~-...
....-~^@ F13LDS, 4ND TH3N TH4T R1GHT TURN 4T TH3 #&@^~-....
.....-~^@& FORK. &@^~-.....
......-~^@ @^~-......
.......-~^ 4ND TH3N TH3 ST41RS UP ON TH3 R1DG3. ^~-.......
......-~^@ TH1NKING B4CK, TH1S W4S PROB4BLY 1T. @^~-......
.....-~^@& H1DD3N 1N 4 GROV3, TH3RE W3RE ST41RS &@^~-.....
....-~^@ MUCH L1K3 TH3 ON3S 1 CURR3NTLY S4T ON, #&@^~-....
...-~^@# OLD 4ND WORN DOWN, TH4T L34D YOU UP ##&@^~-...
..-~^@## ONTO TH3 3SKER. TH3 PO1NT OF 3NTRY. H4D ###&@^~-..
.-~^@### 1 1NST3D OPT3D TO W4LK TH3 P4TH 4T 1TS ####&@^~-.
..-~^@## FOOT, 1'M SUR3 MY 3XPER1ENCE WOULD'V3 ###&@^~-..
...-~^@# B3EN D1FF3RENT 1ND3ED. ##&@^~-...
....-~^@ #&@^~-....
.....-~^@& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ &@^~-.....
......-~^@ @^~-......
.......-~^ ON TH3 L4K3, TH3RE W3RE P3OPLE 1N ^~-.......
......-~^@ BO4TS. 1 WOND3RED, COULD TH3Y 3VEN S3E @^~-......
.....-~^@& M3? 1F 1 SHOUT3D, WOULD TH3Y TURN TO &@^~-.....
....-~^@ ST4R3 R1GHT THROUGH M3? #&@^~-....
...-~^@# ##&@^~-...
..-~^@## ###&@^~-..
.-~^@### ####&@^~-.
..-~^@## ###&@^~-..
...-~^@# ##&@^~-...