##¶¤%%=-~. .~-=%%¤¶##
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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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