§§§§,§,,,§                                          ,,,§§,,§,§
,,,§§§,,§,                                          ,,§,§,§§§,
,,§,,§,§§§                                          ,§§§§§,,§,
,§§,§§§,,§                                          §,,,,§,§§,
§,§§,,§,§§                                          §,,,§§§,§,
§§,§,§§§,, ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, §,,§,,§§§§
,§§§§,,§,, ,,*            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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