###¤@^*»,, ,,»*^@¤###
¤^^»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»^^¤
¤^^»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»^^¤
#¤@^^*,,,, ,,,,*^^@¤#
###¤@^*»,, ,,»*^@¤###
#¤@^^^*»,, ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, ,,»*^^^@¤#
#¤@*»,,,,, ,,* 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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###¤@^*»,, ,,»*^@¤###
####@^*»,, ,,»*^@####
###¤@^*»,, ,,»*^@¤###