.~~*=$#£## ##£#$=*~~.
..~~*=$#£# #£#$=*~~..
...~~*=$#£ £#$=*~~...
....~~*=$# #$=*~~....
.....~~*=$ $=*~~.....
......~~*= W1NDS 3SKER =*~~......
.......~~* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *~~.......
........~~ ~~........
.......~~* TH3RE W4S TH1S PL4C3 TH4T FOR TWO Y34RS *~~.......
......~~*= 1 COULDN'T GO TO. R3G4RDLESS HOW MUCH =*~~......
.....~~*=$ 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? ##£#$=*~~.
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