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¨¨¨:»:^@@¶ ¨:: THE SPIRE »:¨ ¶@@^:»:¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨:»:^@ :»: 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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