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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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