###¶££/«,,                                          ,,«/££¶###
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#¶££/«,,,,                                          ,,,,«/££¶#
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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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