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#£§¤**=:,, ,:* THE SPIRE =*, ,,:=**¤§£#
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§¤**=:,,,, *=: 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 *:= ,,,,:=**¤§
£§¤**=:,,, ,:= 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. *=: ,,,:=**¤§£
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¤**=:,,,,, *=: 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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