,,-=\†§@@# #@@§†\=-,,
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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. -\, §†\=-,,,,,
,,,,-=\†§@ ,,,---\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\---,,, @§†\=-,,,,
,,,-=\†§@@ @@§†\=-,,,
,,-=\†§@@# ,,,---\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\---,,, #@@§†\=-,,
,-=\†§@@## ,-\ 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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,,,,,,-=\† †\=-,,,,,,