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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. \~: ,&,&,&,&,,
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&,&&,&&,&, \~: 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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