#*%^«,....                                          ....,«^%*#
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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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