;«-....... .......-«;
«-........ ........-«
-......... .........-
.......... ..........
-......... .........-
«-........ ...---;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;---... ........-«
;«-....... .-; 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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=;«-...... ......-«;=
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