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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. ~«¨ ¨¨~«***###
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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. ~*¨ ¨¨~«***###
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###***«~¨¨ ¨~* 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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