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