,,«:$$$### ###$$$:«,,
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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..... ,«, ####$$:«,,
,,«:$$#### ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, ####$$:«,,
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