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.,«*$$#@## .,* THE SPIRE «*. ##@#$$*«,.
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,«*$$#@@## *,« BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL ,*« ##@@#$$*«,
.,«*$$#@@# ,*« ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ,«* #@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# ,«* CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «,* #@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@## «,* LIKED A MUSHROOM. «*, ##@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@## «*, WE LOVED IT DEARLY. *«, ##@#$$*«,.
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.....,,*$# *,« IT PREDATED US BY MANY YEARS, ,*« #$*,,.....
.,«*$$$##@ ,*« AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ,«* @##$$$*«,.
.,«$$#@@## ,«* BUILDERS. THEY HAD USED ITS «,* ##@@#$$«,.
....,«$$#@ «,* HOLLOW BODY FOR MANY STRANGE «*, @#$$«,....
.,«***$#@@ «*, PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF *«, @@#$***«,.
.,«*$$#@@# *«, GESTATION, A STORAGE OF STRAGE *,« #@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# *,« FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF ,*« #@@#$$*«,.
....«$$$@@ ,*« ARCANE DEITY. ,«* @@$$$«....
.,«*$$#@@# ,«*«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««,* #@@#$$*«,.
....««$#@@ «,* WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR ITS «*, @@#$««....
....«*$$@@ «*, PRESENCE, AND HONORED IT THE *«, @@$$*«....
....,«*$$# *«, ONLY WAY WE KNEW HOW: BY *,« #$$*«,....
.,«*$$@@## .,« BREAKING IN. ,«. ##@@$$*«,.
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.....«*$$# .«* THIS PLACE WE CALLED OUR CITY: ,*« #$$*«.....
...,*$$$## ,*« WAVY AND FRACTURED, WITH EACH *,« ##$$$*,...
.,«*$$#@@# *,« COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, *«, #@@#$$*«,.
..,,,«*$#@ *«, ROADS BECOMING ROOFS BECOMING «*, @#$*«,,,..
.,«*$$#@@@ «*, DRAINS. AND SOME PLACES, LIKE «,* @@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@## «,* THE SPIRE, NOBODY HAD ACCESSED ,«* ##@#$$*«,.
....,«**$# ,«* FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE ITS WALLS ,*« #$**«,....
.,«*$$#@@# ,*« ARE JUST TOO HIGH, AND THE *,« #@@#$$*«,.
.....«*$$@ *,« INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, *«, @$$*«.....
.,«*$$#@@# *«, A PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS EASILY «*, #@@#$$*«,.
.,«***$#@@ «*, OVERLOOKED. ,«* @@#$***«,.
.,«*$$#@## ,«*««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««,*« ##@#$$*«,.
.....,*$$# ,*« SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE *,« #$$*,.....
.,«****$$# *,« FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND «,* #$$****«,.
.,«*$$#@## *«, CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR «*, ##@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# «*, A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND «,* #@@#$$*«,.
....««*$## «,* PLAY MUSIC ON OUR HANDHELDS. ,«* ##$*««....
.,«*$$#@@# ,«* INSTEAD WE FOUND VAST LUNGS ,*« #@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# ,*« DRAINED OF THEIR CATALYST *,« #@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$##@@ *,« SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO *«, @@##$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@@ *«, MAKE SENSE OF OUR ROAMINGS FOR «*, @@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# «*, YEARS TO COME. «,* #@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# «,*««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««,«* #@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# ,«* A CENTRAL SPINE, A STAIRCASE ,*« #@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@@ ,*« AROUND IT, THE SEVEN TOROIDAL *,« @@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# *,« LUNGS STACKED OUTSIDE, AND THE *«, #@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# *«, CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS «*, #@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# «*, FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES «,* #@@#$$*«,.
......«$$# «,* FOR RADIATING CONSCIOUSNESS ,«* #$$«......
...,,,*$#@ .«* INVITATIONS. ,*. @#$*,,,...
.,«*$$#@@@ ...,,,****************************,,,... @@@#$$*«,.
....,*$$## ##$$*,....
.,«*$#@@## ...,,,****************************,,,... ##@@#$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# .,* IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS *«, #@@#$$*«,.
..,,««$$#@ «*, TOPPLED AND EATEN BY MACHINES. *,« @#$$««,,..
.,«*$$#@@# *«, AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS ,*« #@@#$$*«,.
....,*$#@@ *,« CONJURED IN ITS PLACE. IT'S A ,«* @@#$*,....
....«*$#@@ ,*« TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN «,* @@#$*«....
...,,*$$$@ ,«* US, AND WE LET IT BE. OUR «*, @$$$*,,...
.,«««*$##@ «,* JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS FEET. *«, @##$*«««,.
.,«*$$$#@@ «*,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««*,« @@#$$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@# *«, BUT THEN WE ARE BETRAYED. THE ,*« #@@#$$*«,.
...,««*$#@ *,« NEW TOWER EATS US. OTHERS ARE ,«* @#$*««,...
.,«*$$$### ,*« SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE «,* ###$$$*«,.
.,«*$#@@## ,«* MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT, ONLY TO «*, ##@@#$*«,.
.....,«*$@ «,* DISAPPEAR IN THE EVENING FOG. *«, @$*«,.....
...,«**$#@ «*, FOR A WHILE ITS SOME KIND OF *,« @#$**«,...
.,«*$$#@## *«, TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED ,*« ##@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@@ *,« OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A ,«* @@@#$$*«,.
.,«*$$#@@@ ,*« FEW TIMES, AND STOP GOING. «,* @@@#$$*«,.
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.,«*$$#@@# «,* IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY *«, #@@#$$*«,.
.....,**$# «*, SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES *,« #$**,.....
.,«*$$#@@# *«, IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ,*« #@@#$$*«,.
.,«***$### .,« CARS..... ,«. ###$***«,.
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