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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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