§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨ ¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨ ¨¨¨§¨¨§§§¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§ ¨¨¨¨§¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨ §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨ ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨¨§¨ ¨¨¨---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---¨¨¨ ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨§ ¨-^ 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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§§¨¨¨¨§¨§§ §¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨§§ §§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨