¤¤¤¤¤§^».. ..»^§¤¤¤¤¤
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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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