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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.          §§§,§§§,§,
§,,§§§§§§,                                          ,,,§§,,§§§
,§,§,,,,,§ ======================================== ,,,§,§,§,,
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,§,,,§,,,§ 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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