.~†%£&@###                                          ###@&£%†~.
..~†%£&@##                                          ##@&£%†~..
...~†%£&@#                                          #@&£%†~...
....~†%£&@                                          @&£%†~....
.....~†%£&                                          &£%†~.....
......~†%£               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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