,,,,,,,,@, ,,,@@,,@@@
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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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