....~»=§%£ £%§=»~....
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.........~ W1NDS 3SKER ~.........
.......... »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» ..........
.......... ..........
.......... TH3RE W4S TH1S PL4C3 TH4T FOR TWO Y34RS ..........
.......... 1 COULDN'T GO TO. R3G4RDLESS HOW MUCH ..........
.......... D1SCUSS3D W1TH OTH3RS, OR PO1NT3D OUT ..........
.........~ ON M4PS, 1 COULD NOT TH1NK OF 1T WH3N ~.........
........~» 4LON3. 1 WOULD OFT3N TR4V3L P4ST TH3 »~........
.......~»= FORK, WH3RE 4 R1GHT TURN WOULD SUR3LY =»~.......
......~»=§ T4K3 M3 TH3RE, BUT 3VEN TH3N, SOM3TH1NG §=»~......
.....~»=§% K3PT M3 4WAY. %§=»~.....
....~»=§%£ £%§=»~....
...~»=§%£@ WH3N 1 F1N4LLY GOT TH3RE, 4FT3R SOM3 @£%§=»~...
..~»=§%£@# H34VY SUBCONSC1OUS B4TTL3 1 MUST #@£%§=»~..
.~»=§%£@## 4SSUM3, TH3 PL4C3 W4S SURR34L. 4N ##@£%§=»~.
..~»=§%£@# 3SKER, L1K3 4 N3EDLE-TH1N R1FT OUT 1N #@£%§=»~..
...~»=§%£@ TH3 L4K3, BUT T3N M3TERS H1GH 4ND @£%§=»~...
....~»=§%£ 4DORN3D 1N B1RCH, W1LLOW, BR4CK3N, 4ND £%§=»~....
.....~»=§% BLU3BERR1ES. %§=»~.....
......~»=§ §=»~......
.......~»= W4LK1NG 4TOP TH4T SP1N3, 1 C4M3 TO =»~.......
........~» NOT1C3 TH3 V13W TO 31THER S1D3. TH3RE »~........
.........~ SHOULD B3 SHOR3S, OF COURS3, BUT 1 ~.........
.......... D1DN'T R3COGN1ZE TH3M. F1RST OFF, TH3Y ..........
.......... W3RE MUCH TOO CLOS3, 4S TH3 L4K3 SHOULD ..........
.......... STR3TCH FOR 4 HUNDR3D M3TERS MOR3 ON ..........
.......... BOTH S1D3S. BUT NOW 1 F3LT 1 COULD ..........
.......... 4LMOST R34CH OUT 4ND TOUCH TH3M. 4ND ..........
.........~ TH3N, WH3N 1 R34L1ZED WH1CH SHOR3S TH3Y ~.........
........~» W3RE, 1 H4D TO STOP. »~........
.......~»= =»~.......
......~»=§ TH3Y W3RE OF TH3 R1GHT L4K3. BUT TH1S §=»~......
.....~»=§% L4K3 1S L4RG3, FR4CTUR3D, 4ND %§=»~.....
....~»=§%£ B1P4RTIT3. L1K3 4 P41R OF LUNGS C4RV3D £%§=»~....
...~»=§%£@ 1NTO TH3 GR4N1T3, 4ND W1TH NO L3SS TH4N @£%§=»~...
..~»=§%£@# F1V3 COMMUN1TI3S 4NCHOR3D 4T V4R1OUS #@£%§=»~..
.~»=§%£@## PO1NTS. 4ND SO, STUDY1NG TH3SE ##@£%§=»~.
..~»=§%£@# 1MPOSSIBLY CLOS3 SHOR3S, 1 SLOWLY #@£%§=»~..
...~»=§%£@ UND3RSTOOD TH3M 4S B3LONG1NG M4NY M1L3S @£%§=»~...
....~»=§%£ 4WAY. £%§=»~....
.....~»=§% %§=»~.....
......~»=§ 1 3X4M1NED TH3 R1DG3, TH3 TR3EL1NE §=»~......
.......~»= 4BOV3. W4S TH1S WH4T YOU S4W OPPOS1T3, =»~.......
........~» FROM THOS3 OTH3R SHOR3S? 1 COULDN'T »~........
.........~ R3MEMBER. ~.........
.......... ..........
.......... C4RRY1NG FORW4RD, ON TH3 V3RY T1P OF ..........
.......... TH3 3SKER, 1 FOUND TH3 RU1NS OF SOM3 ..........
.......... OLD BU1LDING. TH3RE W3RE OV3RGROWN ..........
.......... M4RBL3 ST41RCAS3S, STON3 FLOORS B3NE4TH ..........
.........~ TH3 MOSS, 4ND STR4NG3 SL4BS 1NS3RTED ~.........
........~» 1NTO TH3 SLOP3 L1K3 D4MS 4GA1NST TH3 »~........
.......~»= GROUND 1TS3LF. =»~.......
......~»=§ §=»~......
.....~»=§% S1TTING TH3RE, 1 COULD S3E 4CROSS TH3 %§=»~.....
....~»=§%£ N4RROW3D L4K3 MY 3NT1RE P4TH TO WH3RE 1 £%§=»~....
...~»=§%£@ S4T: FROM TH3 ST41RW3LL OF MY HOUS3, @£%§=»~...
..~»=§%£@# THROUGH TH3 OLD WOODS B3H1ND TH3 T1L3 #@£%§=»~..
.~»=§%£@## F4CTORY, TH3 BR1DG3 OV3R ROUT3 ##@£%§=»~.
..~»=§%£@# TW3NTY THREE 4ND TH3N B4CK UND3R 1T, #@£%§=»~..
...~»=§%£@ THROUGH TH3 F4NCY V1LL4S, OV3R TH3 @£%§=»~...
....~»=§%£ F13LDS, 4ND TH3N TH4T R1GHT TURN 4T TH3 £%§=»~....
.....~»=§% FORK. %§=»~.....
......~»=§ §=»~......
.......~»= 4ND TH3N TH3 ST41RS UP ON TH3 R1DG3. =»~.......
........~» TH1NKING B4CK, TH1S W4S PROB4BLY 1T. »~........
.........~ H1DD3N 1N 4 GROV3, TH3RE W3RE ST41RS ~.........
.......... MUCH L1K3 TH3 ON3S 1 CURR3NTLY S4T ON, ..........
.......... OLD 4ND WORN DOWN, TH4T L34D YOU UP ..........
.......... ONTO TH3 3SKER. TH3 PO1NT OF 3NTRY. H4D ..........
.......... 1 1NST3D OPT3D TO W4LK TH3 P4TH 4T 1TS ..........
.......... FOOT, 1'M SUR3 MY 3XPER1ENCE WOULD'V3 ..........
.........~ B3EN D1FF3RENT 1ND3ED. ~.........
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......~»=§ §=»~......
.....~»=§% ON TH3 L4K3, TH3RE W3RE P3OPLE 1N %§=»~.....
....~»=§%£ BO4TS. 1 WOND3RED, COULD TH3Y 3VEN S3E £%§=»~....
...~»=§%£@ M3? 1F 1 SHOUT3D, WOULD TH3Y TURN TO @£%§=»~...
..~»=§%£@# ST4R3 R1GHT THROUGH M3? #@£%§=»~..
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