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#.#....##. :^= 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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