,,,§,,,§§§                                          §§,,,,,,,,
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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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