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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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