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¨:«:%%&@## :«: ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A ::« ##@&%%:«:¨
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¨¨¨¨:«%%&@ :«: CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «:: @&%%«:¨¨¨¨
¨:«:%%%%&& «:: LIKED A MUSHROOM. «:: &&%%%%:«:¨
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¨:«:%%&@## ::« 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. :«: #@@&%%:«:¨
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¨:«:%%&@@@ «:: PRESENCE, AND HONORED IT THE :«: @@@&%%:«:¨
¨:«:%%%%%& :«: ONLY WAY WE KNEW HOW: BY ::« &%%%%%:«:¨
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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 «:: #@@&%%:«:¨
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¨:«:%%&@@# ::« FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND «:: #@@&%%:«:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:«%&& :«: CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR «:: &&%«:¨¨¨¨¨
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¨:««::%%%& «:: 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. «:: &%::¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:«:%%&@## «::««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:«: ##@&%%:«:¨
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¨:«:%%&@@# ::« AROUND IT, THE SEVEN TOROIDAL ::« #@@&%%:«:¨
¨¨¨¨¨«:%%@ ::« LUNGS STACKED OUTSIDE, AND THE :«: @%%:«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:«%%%&@ :«: CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS «:: @&%%%«:¨¨¨
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¨:«:%%&@@# «:: FOR RADIATING CONSCIOUSNESS :«: #@@&%%:«:¨
¨¨:««%%%&@ ¨«: INVITATIONS. ::¨ @&%%%««:¨¨
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¨:«:%%%&&@ :«: AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS ::« @&&%%%:«:¨
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¨¨¨::::%%& ::« TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN «:: &%%::::¨¨¨
¨:«:%&@@## :«: US, AND WE LET IT BE. OUR «:: ##@@&%:«:¨
¨¨:««::%&@ «:: JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS FEET. :«: @&%::««:¨¨
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¨:«:%%&@@@ :«: 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. «:: @&%::¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨::::%@@ :«: IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ::« @@%::::¨¨¨
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