.,«:†&&&&&                                          &&&&&†:«,.
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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.....            ,«. #££&&†:«,.
.,«:†&&£## ...,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,... ##£&&†:«,.
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