###¤%†*«^, ,^«*†%¤###
###¤%†*«^, ,^«*†%¤###
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###¤%†*«^, ,^«*†%¤###
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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..... ^«, ,^«*†%¤###
###¤%†*«^, ,,,^^^****************************^^^,,, ,^«*†%¤###
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