####$§*=:¨ ¨:=*§$####
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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. :*¨ ¨¨¨::**§##
##§=:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:::****************************:::¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:=§##
####$§*=:¨ ¨:=*§$####
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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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