,~=\$££@##                                          ##@££$\=~,
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,~=\%$££@@                                          @@££$%\=~,
,,,,,=\$$£                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 £$$\\=,,,,
,~=\%$££## STRETCH FOR  A  HUNDRED  METERS MORE  ON ##££$%\=~,
,~=====%£@ BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW I  FELT  I  COULD @£%=====~,
,~=\%$££@# ALMOST  REACH  OUT AND  TOUCH THEM.  AND #@££$%\=~,
,~=\%££@## THEN, WHEN I  REALIZED WHICH SHORES THEY ##@££%\=~,
,~=\%$££@@           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           @@££$%\=~,
,~~~=%%$££                                          ££$%%=~~~,
,,~~\%%$££ THEY WERE  OF THE  RIGHT LAKE. BUT  THIS ££$%%\~~,,
,~=\%$££@#       LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND      #@££$%\=~,
,~=\%££@## BIPARTITE. LIKE A  PAIR  OF LUNGS CARVED ##@££%\=~,
,~=\%$££@# INTO THE GRANITE, AND  WITH NO LESS THAN #@££$%\=~,
,,,,=%$£££   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   £££$%=,,,,
,~=\%$££@#      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      #@££$%\=~,
,~=\%$££##     IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY    ##££$%\=~,
,~=\%$££@# UNDERSTOOD THEM  AS BELONGING MANY MILES #@££$%\=~,
,,,,,=%%£@                   AWAY.                  @£%%=,,,,,
,~=\%$££##                                          ##££$%\=~,
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,~=\%$£@## ABOVE. WAS THIS  WHAT YOU  SAW OPPOSITE, ##@£$%\=~,
,~=\%$£££@ FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T @£££$%\=~,
,~=\\%$$£@                 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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