,,,,,,,,-«                                          «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«=                                          =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=%                                          %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£                                          £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,-«=%££                                          ££%=«-,,,,
,,,-«=%££# ,,,---============================---,,, #££%=«-,,,
,,-«=%££## ,-=            THE  SPIRE            «=, ##££%=«-,,
,-«=%££### «=-««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««=«- ###££%=«-,
,,-«=%££## =«- ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    =-« ##££%=«-,,
,,,-«=%££# =-« BENEVOLENT  SPIRE, TOWERING WELL -=« #££%=«-,,,
,,,,-«=%££ -=« ABOVE OUR  TALLEST TREES. IT WAS -«= ££%=«-,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£ -«= CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «-= £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=% «-=        LIKED  A  MUSHROOM.       «=- %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«= «=-      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      =«- =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« =«-««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««=-« «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- =-« IT PREDATED  US BY  MANY  YEARS, -=« -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« -=« AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL -«= «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«= -«=  BUILDERS.  THEY  HAD  USED  ITS «-= =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=% «-=  HOLLOW  BODY  FOR MANY STRANGE  «=- %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£ «=- PURPOSES - A  WOMBLIKE  PLACE OF =«- £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,-«=%££ =«- GESTATION, A  STORAGE OF  STRAGE =-« ££%=«-,,,,
,,,-«=%££# =-« FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF -=« #££%=«-,,,
,,-«=%££## -=«    ARCANE    DEITY.              -«= ##££%=«-,,
,-«=%££### -«=«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««-= ###££%=«-,
,,-«=%££## «-=   WE   WERE  GRATEFUL  FOR  ITS  «=- ##££%=«-,,
,,,-«=%££# «=-  PRESENCE, AND  HONORED  IT THE  =«- #££%=«-,,,
,,,,-«=%££ =«-  ONLY  WAY   WE  KNEW  HOW:  BY  =-« ££%=«-,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£ ,-«        BREAKING       IN.        -«, £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=% ,,,---============================---,,, %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«=                                          =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-«                                          «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- ,,,---============================---,,, -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« ,«= THIS  PLACE WE  CALLED OUR CITY: -=« «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«= -=«  WAVY  AND FRACTURED, WITH EACH  =-« =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=% =-« COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, =«- %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£ =«- ROADS  BECOMING  ROOFS BECOMING  «=- £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,-«=%££ «=- DRAINS. AND SOME  PLACES,  LIKE  «-= ££%=«-,,,,
,,,-«=%££# «-= THE SPIRE, NOBODY  HAD ACCESSED  -«= #££%=«-,,,
,,-«=%££## -«= FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE  ITS  WALLS -=« ##££%=«-,,
,-«=%££### -=«  ARE  JUST TOO  HIGH,  AND  THE  =-« ###££%=«-,
,,-«=%££## =-« INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, =«- ##££%=«-,,
,,,-«=%££# =«- A  PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS EASILY  «=- #££%=«-,,,
,,,,-«=%££ «=-           OVERLOOKED.            -«= ££%=«-,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£ -«=««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««-=« £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=% -=« SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER  THE  =-« %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«= =-« FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND «-= =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« =«- CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR «=- «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- «=- A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND «-= -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« «-=  PLAY  MUSIC  ON OUR HANDHELDS.  -«= «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«= -«=  INSTEAD  WE  FOUND  VAST LUNGS  -=« =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=% -=«   DRAINED  OF   THEIR  CATALYST  =-« %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£ =-« SLUDGE, AND A  BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO =«- £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,-«=%££ =«-  MAKE SENSE OF  OUR ROAMINGS FOR «=- ££%=«-,,,,
,,,-«=%££# «=-        YEARS  TO   COME.         «-= #££%=«-,,,
,,-«=%££## «-=««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««-«= ##££%=«-,,
,-«=%££### -«=  A  CENTRAL SPINE,  A  STAIRCASE -=« ###££%=«-,
,,-«=%££## -=« AROUND  IT, THE  SEVEN TOROIDAL  =-« ##££%=«-,,
,,,-«=%££# =-« LUNGS  STACKED OUTSIDE,  AND THE =«- #££%=«-,,,
,,,,-«=%££ =«- CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS «=- ££%=«-,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£ «=- FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES «-= £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=% «-=   FOR  RADIATING  CONSCIOUSNESS  -«= %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«= ,«=           INVITATIONS.           -=, =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« ,,,---============================---,,, «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,-                                          -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« ,,,---============================---,,, «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«= ,-= IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS =«- =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=% «=- TOPPLED AND EATEN  BY MACHINES.  =-« %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£ =«- AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS  -=« £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,-«=%££ =-« CONJURED  IN ITS PLACE. IT'S  A  -«= ££%=«-,,,,
,,,-«=%££# -=« TINY  MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN «-= #££%=«-,,,
,,-«=%££## -«=  US,  AND  WE  LET IT  BE.  OUR  «=- ##££%=«-,,
,-«=%££### «-= JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS  FEET. =«- ###££%=«-,
,,-«=%££## «=-««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««=-« ##££%=«-,,
,,,-«=%££# =«- BUT  THEN  WE ARE  BETRAYED. THE -=« #££%=«-,,,
,,,,-«=%££ =-« NEW TOWER EATS  US.  OTHERS ARE  -«= ££%=«-,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£ -=« SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE «-= £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=% -«=  MANIFESTED  OVERNIGHT, ONLY  TO «=- %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«= «-= DISAPPEAR  IN  THE  EVENING FOG. =«- =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« «=-  FOR  A WHILE  ITS SOME KIND  OF =-« «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- =«- TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED -=« -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« =-« OUTSIDE, AND WE GET  BEATEN UP A -«= «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«= -=«  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  «-= =«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«=% -«=«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««=- %=«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«=%£ «-=  IIRC  IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED  BY  =«- £%=«-,,,,,
,,,,-«=%££ «=- SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES =-« ££%=«-,,,,
,,,-«=%££# =«- IT  TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT -=« #££%=«-,,,
,,-«=%££## ,-«            CARS.....             -«, ##££%=«-,,
,-«=%££### ,,,---============================---,,, ###££%=«-,
,,-«=%££##                                          ##££%=«-,,
,,,-«=%££#                                          #££%=«-,,,
,,,,-«=%££                                          ££%=«-,,,,
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