#@¶&%*:-,¨ ¨,-:*%&¶@#
##@¶&*:-,¨ ¨,-:*&¶@##
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#@¶&%*:-,¨ ¨,-:*%&¶@#
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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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&&**::,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,::**&&