,,«\$%§¶## ##¶§%$\«,,
,,«\$%§¶## ##¶§%$\«,,
,,,,,,\%¶# #¶%\,,,,,,
,,«\$$%%¶# #¶%%$$\«,,
,,«\$%§¶## ##¶§%$\«,,
,,«\$%§¶## ,,,,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,,,, ##¶§%$\«,,
,,,,,,«$%¶ ,,\ THE SPIRE «\, ¶%$«,,,,,,
,,«\$§¶### «\,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««\«, ###¶§$\«,,
,,,,,,,\%§ \«, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A \,« §%\,,,,,,,
,,«\$%§¶## \,« BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL ,\« ##¶§%$\«,,
,,«\$%§¶¶¶ ,\« ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ,«\ ¶¶¶§%$\«,,
,,«\$%§¶¶# ,«\ CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «,\ #¶¶§%$\«,,
,,«\$%§¶## «,\ LIKED A MUSHROOM. «\, ##¶§%$\«,,
,«\$%§¶### «\, WE LOVED IT DEARLY. \«, ###¶§%$\«,
,,,««\$$§§ \«,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««\,« §§$$\««,,,
,,,«««$§§§ \,« IT PREDATED US BY MANY YEARS, ,\« §§§$«««,,,
,,,,«\$§§¶ ,\« 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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,,,,,««$§§ §§$««,,,,,
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