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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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