¨¨¨¨¨--»*& &*»--¨¨¨¨¨
¨-»=*§&@@@ @@@&§*=»-¨
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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. -»¨ #@@&§*=»-¨
¨-»=*§&@@@ ¨¨¨---============================---¨¨¨ @@@&§*=»-¨
¨¨¨¨-»*&@@ @@&*»-¨¨¨¨
¨-»»»»=§&@ @&§=»»»»-¨
¨-»*§&@@## ¨¨¨---============================---¨¨¨ ##@@&§*»-¨
¨-»=*§&@@# ¨»= 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..... -»¨ @@&*»»¨¨¨¨
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¨-»=*§&@@# #@@&§*=»-¨
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