¶%%==,,,,, ,,,,,==%%¶
#@¶@%%=«,, ,,«=%%@¶@#
¶@%=«,,,,, ,,,,,«=%@¶
¶%=««,,,,, ,,,,,««=%¶
¶%%«,,,,,, ,,,,,,«%%¶
¶%%%«,,,,, ,,,,,,============================,,,,,, ,,,,,«%%%¶
¶¶@%==,,,, ,,= 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..... ,«, ,,,,,,«%@@
@¶¶@%%=«,, ,,,,,,============================,,,,,, ,,«=%%@¶¶@
@@%%%%=«,, ,,«=%%%%@@
#@¶@%%=«,, ,,«=%%@¶@#
@@¶@%%=«,, ,,«=%%@¶@@
¶%%%«,,,,, ,,,,,«%%%¶
¶@%==,,,,, ,,,,,==%@¶