##@§=*«^.. ..^«*=§@##
#@§=*«^... ...^«*=§@#
@§=*«^.... ....^«*=§@
§=*«^..... .....^«*=§
=*«^...... ......^«*=
*«^....... ...^^^****************************^^^... .......^«*
«^........ .^* 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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