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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..... ,-. @...@@@..@
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