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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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