##..##..#.                                          ###..##.#.
.#.#.#.##.                                          .##.#.#.#.
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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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