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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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