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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. ,«. ..,«;§£¶##
#¶£§;«,... ...,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,... ...,«;§£¶#
¶£§;«,.... ....,«;§£¶
£§;«,..... .....,«;§£
§;«,...... ...,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,... ......,«;§
;«,....... .«; 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..... ,«. ..........
.......... ...,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
,......... .........,
«,........ ........,«
;«,....... .......,«;