@@,@@@@,,@ @@,,,,@@,@
,@@,,,@,@, ,@,,,@,@@,
@,@,,@@@@@ @@,,@@@,@,
@@@,@,,,,@ ,@,@,,@@@@
,,@@@,,,@, @@@@,@,,,,
,@,,@,,@@, ,,,~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~,,, ,,,@@@,,,,
@@,@@,@,@@ ,~: 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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@,@,@,,,,@ @@@,,@,@,,