#¶#$%:=,.. ..,=:%$#¶#
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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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