.....«=*§#                                          #§*=«.....
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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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...«=*§###                                          ###§*=«...