###££%==^. .^==%££###
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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. ^=. ..^==%££##
###££%==^. ...^^^============================^^^... .^==%££###
##££%==^.. ..^==%££##
###££%==^. .^==%££###
##££%==^.. ...^^^============================^^^... ..^==%££##
###££%==^. .== 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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