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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.               ####&£^=~¨
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¨~=^§£&### 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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