,,,,,,,,,, ,,§,,,§,,§
,§§§§§§§§§ §,,,§,,,,,
,,§§§§§§§§ ,,§,,,§§§§
,,,§§§§§§, §,,,§,,§§,
§§,,§§§§,, ,,§,,,,,,,
,,,,,§§,,§ ,,,^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^,,, §,,,§§§§§,
§§§§,,,,,, ,^: 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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