§,§,§§§,,,                                          §§,§§,,§§,
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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.          §,,,,§§§§§
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,§,,§,,§§§ ---------------------------------------- §,§,,§§,,,
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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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