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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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