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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.          §,,,§,,,,,
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,,,,,§§§,, 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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