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.,«;$$$%#@ .,; THE SPIRE «;. @#%$$$;«,.
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.,«;$%#@@# ;«, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A ;,« #@@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## ;,« BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL ,;« ##@#%$;«,.
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.,«;$%#@## ,«; CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «,; ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%%%## «,; LIKED A MUSHROOM. «;, ##%%%$;«,.
.,«;$%%%## «;, WE LOVED IT DEARLY. ;«, ##%%%$;«,.
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.,«;$%#@## ;,« IT PREDATED US BY MANY YEARS, ,;« ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%##@@ ,;« AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ,«; @@##%$;«,.
.,«;$%@### ,«; BUILDERS. THEY HAD USED ITS «,; ###@%$;«,.
.....«$##@ «,; HOLLOW BODY FOR MANY STRANGE «;, @##$«.....
.,«;$#@### «;, PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF ;«, ###@#$;«,.
...,;;;;$# ;«, GESTATION, A STORAGE OF STRAGE ;,« #$;;;;,...
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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 ,;« #%%;;«....
.,«;$%%#@@ ,;« ARE JUST TOO HIGH, AND THE ;,« @@#%%$;«,.
.,«;$$%### ;,« INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, ;«, ###%$$;«,.
...,«$$%%@ ;«, A PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS EASILY «;, @%%$$«,...
.,«;$%#@## «;, OVERLOOKED. ,«; ##@#%$;«,.
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.,«;$%#@## ,;« SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE ;,« ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## ;,« FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND «,; ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@@@ ;«, CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR «;, @@@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## «;, A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND «,; ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#### «,; PLAY MUSIC ON OUR HANDHELDS. ,«; ####%$;«,.
......,;%@ ,«; 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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.....«$%@@ «;, TOPPLED AND EATEN BY MACHINES. ;,« @@%$«.....
...,;$$$## ;«, AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS ,;« ##$$$;,...
......,«$# ;,« CONJURED IN ITS PLACE. IT'S A ,«; #$«,......
.,«;$%#@## ,;« TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN «,; ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%%### ,«; US, AND WE LET IT BE. OUR «;, ###%%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## «,; JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS FEET. ;«, ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## «;,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««;,« ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## ;«, BUT THEN WE ARE BETRAYED. THE ,;« ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## ;,« NEW TOWER EATS US. OTHERS ARE ,«; ##@#%$;«,.
..,«;;;%@# ,;« 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 ,«; #%;;,.....
.,«;$%#@## ,;« FEW TIMES, AND STOP GOING. «,; ##@#%$;«,.
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.,«;$%#@## ;«, IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ,;« ##@#%$;«,.
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