......:»;* *;»:......
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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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.....:»;*@ @*;»:.....