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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. .=, ,¤,,¤,¤,¤¤
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,¤,¤,¤¤,,¤ ,.= 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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