##¶#$$\=:, ,:=\$$#¶##
#¶#$$\=:,, ,,:=\$$#¶#
¶#$$\=:,,, ,,,:=\$$#¶
#$$\=:,,,, ,,,,:=\$$#
$$\=:,,,,, ,,,,,:=\$$
$\=:,,,,,, ,,,:::\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\:::,,, ,,,,,,:=\$
\=:,,,,,,, ,:\ THE SPIRE =\, ,,,,,,,:=\
=:,,,,,,,, =\:==================================\=: ,,,,,,,,:=
:,,,,,,,,, \=: ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A \:= ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, \:= BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL :\= ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, :\= ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS :=\ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, :=\ CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED =:\ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, =:\ LIKED A MUSHROOM. =\: ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, =\: WE LOVED IT DEARLY. \=: ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, \=:==================================\:= ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, \:= IT PREDATED US BY MANY YEARS, :\= ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, :\= AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL :=\ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, :=\ BUILDERS. THEY HAD USED ITS =:\ ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, =:\ HOLLOW BODY FOR MANY STRANGE =\: ,,,,,,,,,:
=:,,,,,,,, =\: PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF \=: ,,,,,,,,:=
\=:,,,,,,, \=: GESTATION, A STORAGE OF STRAGE \:= ,,,,,,,:=\
$\=:,,,,,, \:= FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF :\= ,,,,,,:=\$
$$\=:,,,,, :\= 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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