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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. «.= ¨.«=§@¤¤¤¤
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#¤¤§§=.¨¨¨ «.= IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY =«. ¨¨¨.=§§¤¤#
####@§=«.¨ «=. SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES =.« ¨.«=§@####
#¤¤§«¨¨¨¨¨ =«. IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT .=« ¨¨¨¨¨«§¤¤#
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