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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. -=. ....---=@&
¶¶&^«-.... ...---============================---... ....-«^&¶¶
¶¶&^«..... .....«^&¶¶
##¶&@^=«-. ...---============================---... .-«=^@&¶##
#¶&&@^=«-. .-= 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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