.....,«^=&                                          &=^«,.....
......,«^=                                          =^«,......
.......,«^                                          ^«,.......
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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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