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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. ,;, ,,«;§%#¶##
##§;«,,,,, ,,,,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,,,, ,,,,,«;§##
##¶#%§;«,, ,,«;§%#¶##
##¶#%§;«,, ,,,,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,,,, ,,«;§%#¶##
##¶#%§;«,, ,,; 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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