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##@§§%;«., ,.; 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. .«, ,.«;%§§@##
##@§§%;«., ,,,...;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;...,,, ,.«;%§§@##
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§§%«.,,,,, ,,,...;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;...,,, ,,,,,.«%§§
@@§%%«..., ,«; 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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