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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. ~-; ,,§§,§,,,§
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§§,,,§§§,, ~;- 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. -~; §,§,§§§§,,
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,§§,,,,,§§ -~; IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY ;-~ ,,,,,§,,§§
§§,§,,,,§, -;~ SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES ;~- §,,,,§§,§,
§,§§§,,,§§ ;-~ IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ~;- §§,,,§,§§§
,§§,,§,,§, ,~- CARS..... ~-, ,,§,,§§§,,
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