...,«/§§¤@                                          @¤§§/«,...
..,«/§§¤@#                                          #@¤§§/«,..
.,«/§§¤@##                                          ##@¤§§/«,.
..,«/§§¤@#                                          #@¤§§/«,..
...,«/§§¤@                                          @¤§§/«,...
....,«/§§¤ ...,,,////////////////////////////,,,... ¤§§/«,....
.....,«/§§ .,/            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.....             ,«. §§/«,.....
....,«/§§¤ ...,,,////////////////////////////,,,... ¤§§/«,....
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