=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
*=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,,****************************,,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=*
^*=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨,*            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.....             ,=¨ ¨¨¨¨,=*^%@
%^*=,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,,****************************,,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,=*^%
^*=,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=*^
*=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=*
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨