#¤@†=~.,,, ,,,.~=†@¤#
##¤@†=~.,, ,,.~=†@¤##
###¤@†=~., ,.~=†@¤###
##¤@†=~.,, ,,.~=†@¤##
#¤@†=~.,,, ,,,.~=†@¤#
¤@†=~.,,,, ,,,...============================...,,, ,,,,.~=†@¤
#¤@†=~.,,, ,.= 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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