,,=:$%£###                                          ###£%$:=,,
,,,,::$$%#                                          #%$$::,,,,
,,=:$%£###                                          ###£%$:=,,
,,=:$%%%£#                                          #£%%%$:=,,
,,=:$£####                                          ####£$:=,,
,,=:$%#### ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, ####%$:=,,
,,,=:$$££# ,,:            THE  SPIRE            =:, #££$$:=,,,
,,=:$%£### =:,==================================:=, ###£%$:=,,
,,==:$$%£# :=, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    :,= #£%$$:==,,
,,=:$%£### :,= BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL  ,:= ###£%$:=,,
,,,,=$$$$£ ,:= ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT  WAS ,=: £$$$$=,,,,
,,=:$%££££ ,=: CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED =,: ££££%$:=,,
,,,,=$$%## =,:        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  =,: ££$$::,,,,
,,,,,:$%%# =,:  HOLLOW BODY  FOR  MANY  STRANGE =:, #%%$:,,,,,
,,=:$%£££# =:, PURPOSES - A  WOMBLIKE PLACE OF  :=, #£££%$:=,,
,,,,=:%%## :=, GESTATION, A STORAGE OF  STRAGE  :,= ##%%:=,,,,
,,=:$%£### :,= FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF ,:= ###£%$:=,,
,,,,,:%££# ,:=   ARCANE    DEITY.               ,=: #££%:,,,,,
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,,,,,=:%£# =,:  WE  WERE   GRATEFUL  FOR  ITS   =:, #£%:=,,,,,
,,=:$£#### =:, PRESENCE,  AND  HONORED  IT  THE :=, ####£$:=,,
,,,,=$$££# :=,  ONLY  WAY  WE  KNEW   HOW:  BY  :,= #££$$=,,,,
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,,,,,==$££ ,=: THIS  PLACE WE  CALLED OUR CITY: ,:= ££$==,,,,,
,,=:$%£### ,:=  WAVY AND FRACTURED,  WITH  EACH :,= ###£%$:=,,
,,=:::%%£# :,= COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, :=, #£%%:::=,,
,,=:$%£### :=,  ROADS BECOMING  ROOFS  BECOMING =:, ###£%$:=,,
,,,,,,,:%£ =:, DRAINS. AND SOME  PLACES,  LIKE  =,: £%:,,,,,,,
,,=:$%£### =,:  THE  SPIRE, NOBODY HAD ACCESSED ,=: ###£%$:=,,
,,=:$%£### ,=: FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE  ITS  WALLS ,:= ###£%$:=,,
,,=:$%£### ,:=  ARE  JUST  TOO  HIGH,  AND  THE :,= ###£%$:=,,
,,=:$%£### :,= INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, :=, ###£%$:=,,
,,,,,,=$$£ :=,  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. :=, ##£$$:,,,,
,,=:$%£### =:,==================================:,= ###£%$:=,,
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,,=:$%£### :,=  NEW TOWER EATS  US. OTHERS  ARE ,=: ###£%$:=,,
,,=:$%£### ,:= SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE =,: ###£%$:=,,
,,,,,:$$£# ,=:  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 :=, #%:,,,,,,,
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,,=:$%#### :=, IT TO  HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ,:= ####%$:=,,
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