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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. ~-^ ,§§§§§,§,§
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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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