§§»»,..... .....,»»§§
@@@§£§^»,. .,»^§£§@@@
§££^»»,... ...,»»^££§
#@@§£§^»,. .,»^§£§@@#
##@§£§^»,. .,»^§£§@##
§§§§£§^»,. ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... .,»^§£§§§§
§££^»»»... .,^ 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..... ,». .,»^§£§@@#
#@@§£§^»,. ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... .,»^§£§@@#
§§»....... .......»§§
#@@§£§^»,. .,»^§£§@@#
§§£§^^,... ...,^^§£§§
##@§£§^»,. .,»^§£§@##
#@@§£§^»,. .,»^§£§@@#