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###@=/«,.. .,/ 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. ,«/ ..,«/=@###
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###@=/«,.. «,/ 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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