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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. :=, ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, ,,,:::============================:::,,, ,,,,,,,,,:
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
=-:,,,,,,, ,,,:::============================:::,,, ,,,,,,,:-=
†=-:,,,,,, ,:= 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..... :-, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,:::============================:::,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,:
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
=-:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:-=
†=-:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:-=†
$†=-:,,,,, ,,,,,:-=†$