,,,,§,,§,§                                          ,,§,,,,,§§
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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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