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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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