...::-;$$@ @$$;-::...
.:-;§$§### ###§$§;-:.
....:;;§§@ @§§;;:....
.:-;§$§@## ##@§$§;-:.
.....--;$@ @$;--.....
.:-;§$§@@@ WINDS ESKER @@@§$§;-:.
....:;§§@# ---------------------------------------- #@§§;:....
.....:-§$@ @$§-:.....
.:-;§$§@## THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS ##@§$§;-:.
.:-;§§$§@@ I COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS HOW MUCH @@§$§§;-:.
.:-;§§§$§# DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS, OR POINTED OUT #§$§§§;-:.
.....---§§ 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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