##@#$^^~:. .:~^^$#@##
#@#$^^~:.. ..:~^^$#@#
@#$^^~:... ...:~^^$#@
#$^^~:.... ....:~^^$#
$^^~:..... .....:~^^$
^^~:...... 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 ......:~^^
$^^~:..... FOOT, 1'M SUR3 MY 3XPER1ENCE WOULD'V3 .....:~^^$
#$^^~:.... B3EN D1FF3RENT 1ND3ED. ....:~^^$#
@#$^^~:... ...:~^^$#@
#@#$^^~:.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..:~^^$#@#
##@#$^^~:. .:~^^$#@##
#@#$^^~:.. ON TH3 L4K3, TH3RE W3RE P3OPLE 1N ..:~^^$#@#
@#$^^~:... BO4TS. 1 WOND3RED, COULD TH3Y 3VEN S3E ...:~^^$#@
#$^^~:.... M3? 1F 1 SHOUT3D, WOULD TH3Y TURN TO ....:~^^$#
$^^~:..... ST4R3 R1GHT THROUGH M3? .....:~^^$
^^~:...... ......:~^^
^~:....... .......:~^
~:........ ........:~
:......... .........:
~:........ ........:~