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