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¨¨¨¨:»^*§§ §§*^»:¨¨¨¨
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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. :»^ @§§*^»:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:»^*§§ :»^»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»:^ §§*^»:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:»^*§ »:^ 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..... :»¨ ^»:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:» ¨¨¨:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::¨¨¨ »:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨: :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨: :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨