.~«*$££###                                          ###££$*«~.
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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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.~«*$££££@                                          @££££$*«~.