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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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