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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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