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