¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨#                                          #¨¨¨¨¨#¨##
¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨#                                          ##¨¨¨¨¨¨##
#¨¨#¨¨¨#¨#                                          ###¨¨¨¨¨##
##¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨                                          #¨##¨¨¨¨#¨
###¨¨#¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨###¨¨¨¨¨
#¨##¨¨#¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---††††††††††††††††††††††††††††---¨¨¨ ¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨
¨¨###¨¨#¨¨ ¨-†            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.....            --¨ ###¨¨#¨¨¨¨
¨¨###¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---††††††††††††††††††††††††††††---¨¨¨ #¨##¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨###¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨##¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨###¨¨#
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¨#¨¨¨¨#¨##                                          #¨¨¨¨¨###¨