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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. .-: ¨.-:%&##
##&%-.¨¨¨¨ .-:----------------------------------.:- ¨¨¨¨.-%#
@&:.¨¨¨¨¨¨ .:- 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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