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&&,,&,&&,, ,,&,,,,,,&
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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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,&,,,,&,,, ,,&,,&,,&,
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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. :/, ,,,,,&&&,,
,,&&&,,,,, ,,,:::////////////////////////////:::,,, ,,,,,&,&&,
,,&,&&,,,, &,,,,,,&&&
&,,,&&&,,, ,,,:::////////////////////////////:::,,, ,&,,,,,&,&
&&,,&,&&,, ,:/ 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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