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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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