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##@@$**«-. .-«**$@@##
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##@@$**«-. .-«**$@@##
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##@@$**«-. .-* THE SPIRE «*. .-«**$@@##
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@@*«-..... *«- 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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