@$$%:««,,, ,,,««:%$$@
@&$$:::«,, ,,«:::$$&@
@@&&$%:«,, ,,«:%$&&@@
@&%:««,,,, ,,,,««:%&@
#@@&$%:«,, ,,«:%$&@@#
#@@&$%:«,, ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, ,,«:%$&@@#
@@&&$%:«,, ,,: THE SPIRE «:, ,,«:%$&&@@
&$%%«,,,,, «:,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:«, ,,,,,«%%$&
&$%%%::«,, :«, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A :,« ,,«::%%%$&
&%:,,,,,,, :,« 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..... ,«, ,,,,,,::%&
@&%%%:,,,, ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, ,,,,:%%%&@
@$%%«,,,,, ,,,,,«%%$@
@$$:::«,,, ,,,«:::$$@
@@$:««,,,, ,,,,««:$@@
&%«,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,«%&
@&%%%«,,,, ,,,,«%%%&@