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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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