,,,~-:**&¶ ¶&**:-~,,,
,,,,~-:**& &**:-~,,,,
,,,,,~-:** **:-~,,,,,
,,,,,,~-:* *:-~,,,,,,
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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. #¶&**:-~,,
,~-:**&¶## ##¶&**:-~,
,,~-:**&¶# ---------------------------------------- #¶&**:-~,,
,,,~-:**&¶ ¶&**:-~,,,
,,,,~-:**& 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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