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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. -~= §§,§§,,,,§
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,,,§,§,,,, ~-= 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. ~-= §§§,§,,,,,
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§§,,§§§§,, ~-= IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY =~- ,§,,§,,,,,
,§,§,,,§,§ ~=- SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES =-~ §§,§§,,,,§
§§§§,,§§§§ =~- IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT -=~ ,§§,§,,,§§
,,,§,§,,,, ,-~ CARS..... -~, §,§§§,,§,,
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