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§§,,,§§§,,               WINDS ESKER                §,,§,§§,§,
§§§,,§,§§, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,§,,,§§,,,
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,,§§§,,§,§ 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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,§,,,,,§§§ 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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