#&%/»..... .....»/%
##¶&%$/»^. .^»/$%&¶##
¶%$»^..... .....^»$%¶
##¶&%$/»^. .^»/$%&¶##
###¶&%/»^. .^»/%&¶###
&$$»»^^... ...^^^////////////////////////////^^^... ...^^»»$$&
##¶&%$/»^. .^/ THE SPIRE »/. .^»/$%&¶##
##¶&%$/»^. »/^»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»/»^ .^»/$%&¶##
###¶%$/»^. /»^ ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A /^» .^»/$%¶###
##¶&%$/»^. /^» BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL ^/» .^»/$%&¶##
&%$»»..... ^/» ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ^»/ .....»»$%&
¶%/»»^.... ^»/ 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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