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.^~*=££### 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.               ##@££=*~^.
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.^~*=££@## 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.           #@£££=*~^.
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.^~*=££@##      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    ££=~......
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...~~*£££@ I  EXAMINED   THE  RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE @£££*~~...
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.^^~***=££ 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.              £=~.......
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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 @££*~.....
.^~*=££@## FIELDS, AND  THEN THAT RIGHT TURN AT THE ##@££=*~^.
.^~~~***££                   FORK.                  ££***~~~^.
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.^~*=££@@# 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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.^~*=££@## BOATS.  I WONDERED,  COULD THEY EVEN SEE ##@££=*~^.
.^~*=££@## ME?  IF  I  SHOUTED, WOULD THEY TURN  TO ##@££=*~^.
.^~*=££@##          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         ##@££=*~^.
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