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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. *«: ,,###,#,#,
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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, *«: ,,###,,#,#
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,,#,,,,### «*: 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 :*« ,,#,##,,#,
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,#,#,##### «*: 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 *«: ,,,#,,,,,#
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,,,#,,,#,, :*« TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN «:* ,,,#,#,,##
,,##,,##,# :«* US, AND WE LET IT BE. OUR «*: ,,####,#,#
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,,,##,###, :«* MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT, ONLY TO «*: ,#,,#####,
,,#,##,,#, «:* DISAPPEAR IN THE EVENING FOG. *«: ##,#,,,,#,
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