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§,§§§§,,,, ,§§,§,§§,§
§§,,,§,,,, §,§§§§,§§,
,§,,§§,,,, §§,,,§§,§§
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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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