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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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