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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. :«¨ ####¨#¨#¨#
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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. «:= #¨#¨###¨##
¨¨####¨#¨¨ :«=«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««=: ¨####¨¨##¨
¨¨#¨¨¨###¨ «:= IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY =«: ¨#¨¨¨#¨#¨#
#¨##¨¨#¨¨# «=: SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES =:« ###¨¨#####
¨##¨#¨##¨# =«: IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT :=« ¨¨¨#¨#¨¨¨¨
¨#¨####¨## ¨:« CARS..... :«¨ ¨¨¨####¨¨¨
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