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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. ~«¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«:
$:«~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«:$
§$:«~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~«:$§
#§$:«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«:$§#
@#§$:«~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~«:$§#@
#@#§$:«~¨¨ ¨«: THIS PLACE WE CALLED OUR CITY: ~:« ¨¨~«:$§#@#
##@#§$:«~¨ ~:« WAVY AND FRACTURED, WITH EACH :~« ¨~«:$§#@##
#@#§$:«~¨¨ :~« COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, :«~ ¨¨~«:$§#@#
@#§$:«~¨¨¨ :«~ ROADS BECOMING ROOFS BECOMING «:~ ¨¨¨~«:$§#@
#§$:«~¨¨¨¨ «:~ DRAINS. AND SOME PLACES, LIKE «~: ¨¨¨¨~«:$§#
§$:«~¨¨¨¨¨ «~: THE SPIRE, NOBODY HAD ACCESSED ~«: ¨¨¨¨¨~«:$§
$:«~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~«: FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE ITS WALLS ~:« ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«:$
:«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~:« 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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§$:«~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~«:$§
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