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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. -*, ,#,##,#,,#
##,#,,###, ,,,---****************************---,,, ###,###,##
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#,,###,#,# ,,,---****************************---,,, ,#,#,#,#,,
#,#,,####, ,-* 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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