§,,§§§§§§,                                          ,§,§,§,§§§
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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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