¨¨¨¨--†@§# #§@†--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--†@§ §@†--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--†@ @†--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--† †--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-- --¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- ¨¨¨---††††††††††††††††††††††††††††---¨¨¨ -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨-† 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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¨¨¨¨¨¨--†@ @†--¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-- --¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨