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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..... ~»¨ #@&@*=»~¨¨
¨~»=*@&@## ¨¨¨~~~============================~~~¨¨¨ ##@&@*=»~¨
¨¨~»=*@&@# #@&@*=»~¨¨
¨¨¨~»=*@&@ @&@*=»~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~»=*@& &@*=»~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~»=*@ @*=»~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~»=* *=»~¨¨¨¨¨¨