¨^«=†##### #####†=«^¨
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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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