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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.        ~«¨ £&&*^«~¨¨¨
¨¨~«^*&&£# ¨¨¨~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^~~~¨¨¨ #£&&*^«~¨¨
¨~«^*&&£##                                          ##£&&*^«~¨
¨¨~«^*&&£#                                          #£&&*^«~¨¨
¨¨¨~«^*&&£ ¨¨¨~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^~~~¨¨¨ £&&*^«~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«^*&& ¨«^ 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.....             ~«¨ #£&&*^«~¨¨
¨¨¨~«^*&&£ ¨¨¨~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^~~~¨¨¨ £&&*^«~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«^*&&                                          &&*^«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«^*&                                          &*^«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~«^*                                          *^«~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«^                                          ^«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«                                          «~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨