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¨~=†*$£@## ======================================== ##@£$*†=~¨
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¨¨¨~~=*$$@ I  COULDN'T GO  TO.  REGARDLESS HOW MUCH @$$*=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~=†$£@ DISCUSSED  WITH  OTHERS, OR  POINTED OUT @£$†=~¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨==*£ 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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¨¨¨~~†*$$£ WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO £$$*†~~¨¨¨
¨~=†*$£@## NOTICE  THE VIEW  TO EITHER SIDE.  THERE ##@£$*†=~¨
¨~=†*$£@@# SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I #@@£$*†=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=**£ DIDN'T  RECOGNIZE THEM. FIRST  OFF, THEY £**=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~††$£@ WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE  LAKE SHOULD @£$††~¨¨¨¨
¨~=†*$£@## STRETCH  FOR  A HUNDRED METERS  MORE  ON ##@£$*†=~¨
¨~=†*$£@## BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW  I  FELT  I COULD ##@£$*†=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨==†$£ ALMOST  REACH  OUT AND  TOUCH THEM.  AND £$†==¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~†$@ THEN, WHEN  I REALIZED WHICH SHORES THEY @$†~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~=†*$£@##           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           ##@£$*†=~¨
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¨~=†*$£@## THEY WERE OF  THE  RIGHT LAKE.  BUT THIS ##@£$*†=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~†*£@       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    #@£**††=~¨
¨~=†*$£@## UNDERSTOOD THEM  AS BELONGING MANY MILES ##@£$*†=~¨
¨~=†*$£@##                  AWAY.                   ##@£$*†=~¨
¨~=†*$£@##                                          ##@£$*†=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=†$£ I  EXAMINED   THE  RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE £$†=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~=†*$$$£# ABOVE. WAS THIS  WHAT  YOU SAW OPPOSITE, #£$$$*†=~¨
¨~=†*$£@## FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T ##@£$*†=~¨
¨~=†*$£@##                REMEMBER.                 ##@£$*†=~¨
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¨~=†*$£@## CARRYING  FORWARD, ON THE  VERY  TIP  OF ##@£$*†=~¨
¨~=†*$£@## THE  ESKER, I  FOUND THE  RUINS OF  SOME ##@£$*†=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨=††$£    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    £$††=¨¨¨¨¨
¨~=†*$@### MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH  ###@$*†=~¨
¨¨¨¨~=†*$£ THE  MOSS,  AND  STRANGE SLABS  INSERTED £$*†=~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~†*$£ INTO THE  SLOPE  LIKE  DAMS  AGAINST THE £$*†~~¨¨¨¨
¨~=†*$£@@#              GROUND ITSELF.              #@@£$*†=~¨
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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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¨~=†*$£@## AND  THEN THE  STAIRS  UP  ON THE RIDGE. ##@£$*†=~¨
¨~=†*$£@## THINKING  BACK,  THIS  WAS  PROBABLY IT. ##@£$*†=~¨
¨=†*$£@### HIDDEN  IN  A  GROVE,  THERE WERE STAIRS ###@£$*†=¨
¨~=†**$$£@ MUCH LIKE THE  ONES  I CURRENTLY SAT ON, @£$$**†=~¨
¨¨¨~=†*££@ OLD  AND  WORN DOWN,  THAT  LEAD YOU  UP @££*†=~¨¨¨
¨~=†*$£@## ONTO THE  ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD ##@£$*†=~¨
¨¨¨¨~†$££# I INSTED  OPTED  TO WALK THE PATH AT ITS #££$†~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨=††*$$£ FOOT,  I'M  SURE MY  EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE £$$*††=¨¨¨
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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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