&&,,,&,,,& ,,,&&,,,&&
&,,&,,,&,, ,&,,,,&,,&
,,,,,&,,,& ,,,&&,,,,,
&&&&,,,&,, ,&,,,,&&&&
&&&,,&,,,, ,,,&&,,&&&
&&,,,,,&&& ,,,:::============================:::,,, &&,,,,,,&&
&,,&&&,,&& ,:= 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..... :», &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& ,,,:::============================:::,,, &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&