,§,§,,,§§,                                          ,,§,,,,,,§
§§§§§,,§,§                                          ,,§§,,,,,§
,,,,,§,§§§                                          ,,§,§,,,,§
§,,,,§§§,,                                          ,,§§§§,,,§
,§,,,§,,§,                                          ,,§,,,§,,§
§§§,,§§,§§ ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, ,,§§,,§§,§
,,,§,§,§§, ,,^            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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