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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.       ,«. #¤¤§§^,,..
....,^^¤££ ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... ££¤^^,....
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.,«^§¤£#@# ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... #@#£¤§^«,.
...,,^§¤£@ .«^  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.           ,^. @#£¤¤§^«,.
.,«^§¤£#@# ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... #@#£¤§^«,.
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.,«^§¤£#@@ ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... @@#£¤§^«,.
.,«^§¤£@## .,^ 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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