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