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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. --, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,---============================---,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
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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. -=, ,,,,,,--=*
$*=--,,,,, ,,,---============================---,,, ,,,,,--=*$
¶$*=--,,,, ,,,,--=*$¶
#¶$*=--,,, ,,,---============================---,,, ,,,--=*$¶#
##¶$*=--,, ,-= IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS =-- ,,--=*$¶##
###¶$*=--, -=- TOPPLED AND EATEN BY MACHINES. =-- ,--=*$¶###
##¶$*=--,, =-- AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS -=- ,,--=*$¶##
#¶$*=--,,, =-- CONJURED IN ITS PLACE. IT'S A --= ,,,--=*$¶#
¶$*=--,,,, -=- TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN --= ,,,,--=*$¶
$*=--,,,,, --= US, AND WE LET IT BE. OUR -=- ,,,,,--=*$
*=--,,,,,, --= 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..... --, ,,,,,,,--=
*=--,,,,,, ,,,---============================---,,, ,,,,,,--=*
$*=--,,,,, ,,,,,--=*$
¶$*=--,,,, ,,,,--=*$¶
#¶$*=--,,, ,,,--=*$¶#
##¶$*=--,, ,,--=*$¶##
###¶$*=--, ,--=*$¶###