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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.          .#.##.#.#.
.#..#.##..                                          .#..#.#.#.
##.##..#.# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .#.##.#.#.
.#..#.##..                                          .#..#.#.#.
##.##..#.# 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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