##¶§¤$^«,,                                          ,,«^$¤§¶##
§¤$^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^$¤§
##¶§¤$^«,,                                          ,,«^$¤§¶##
§§$$$^,,,,                                          ,,,,^$$$§§
@¶§§¤$^«,,                                          ,,«^$¤§§¶@
#@¶§¤$^«,, ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, ,,«^$¤§¶@#
#@¶§¤$^«,, ,,^            THE  SPIRE            «^, ,,«^$¤§¶@#
#@¶§¤$^«,, «^,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^«, ,,«^$¤§¶@#
¶¤¤$$^,,,, ^«, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    ^,« ,,,,^$$¤¤¶
#@¶§¤$^«,, ^,« BENEVOLENT SPIRE,  TOWERING WELL ,^« ,,«^$¤§¶@#
##¶§¤$^«,, ,^« ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES.  IT WAS ,«^ ,,«^$¤§¶##
##@§¤$^«,, ,«^ CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «,^ ,,«^$¤§@##
@§¤¤¤$^«,, «,^       LIKED  A   MUSHROOM.       «^, ,,«^$¤¤¤§@
##@¶§¤$^«, «^,      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      ^«, ,«^$¤§¶@##
¶¶¶§¤$^«,, ^«,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^,« ,,«^$¤§¶¶¶
#@¶§¤$^«,, ^,« IT PREDATED  US BY  MANY YEARS,  ,^« ,,«^$¤§¶@#
#@¶§¤$^«,, ,^« AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ,«^ ,,«^$¤§¶@#
¶¶§$$««,,, ,«^  BUILDERS.  THEY  HAD  USED ITS  «,^ ,,,««$$§¶¶
¶¤^«,,,,,, «,^ 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.           ,^, ,,,,,,^¤¤§
§§§$«,,,,, ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, ,,,,,«$§§§
§§§§¤$^«,,                                          ,,«^$¤§§§§
##@¶§¤$«,, ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, ,,«$¤§¶@##
¶¤¤$««,,,, ,,^ IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS ^«, ,,,,««$¤¤¶
#@¶§¤$^«,, «^,  TOPPLED  AND EATEN BY MACHINES. ^,« ,,«^$¤§¶@#
#@¶§¤$^«,, ^«,  AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS ,^« ,,«^$¤§¶@#
#@¶§¤$^«,, ^,«  CONJURED IN  ITS PLACE. IT'S  A ,«^ ,,«^$¤§¶@#
##@¶§$^«,, ,^« TINY MAW AT  FIRST, SHORTER THAN «,^ ,,«^$§¶@##
##@¶§$^«,, ,«^ US,  AND  WE  LET  IT  BE.  OUR  «^, ,,«^$§¶@##
##@¶§¤$^«, «,^ JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS FEET.  ^«, ,«^$¤§¶@##
¶§$«,,,,,, «^,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^,« ,,,,,,«$§¶
#@¶§¤$^«,, ^«, BUT  THEN WE  ARE BETRAYED. THE  ,^« ,,«^$¤§¶@#
@§¤¤¤$^«,, ^,« NEW  TOWER  EATS US. OTHERS ARE  ,«^ ,,«^$¤¤¤§@
¶¶¤¤¤$^«,, ,^« SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE «,^ ,,«^$¤¤¤¶¶
##@¶§¤$^«, ,«^  MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT,  ONLY TO  «^, ,«^$¤§¶@##
##@§¤$^«,, «,^ DISAPPEAR IN THE  EVENING  FOG.  ^«, ,,«^$¤§@##
#@¶§¤$^«,, «^, FOR  A  WHILE ITS  SOME KIND OF  ^,« ,,«^$¤§¶@#
¶¤$«,,,,,, ^«, TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED ,^« ,,,,,,«$¤¶
##@¶§$^«,, ^,« OUTSIDE, AND  WE GET BEATEN UP A ,«^ ,,«^$§¶@##
¶¶¶§¤$^«,, ,^«  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  «,^ ,,«^$¤§¶¶¶
¶¶§§¤$^«,, ,«^«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^, ,,«^$¤§§¶¶
¶§$^«,,,,, «,^ IIRC  IT'S CURRENTLY  OWNED  BY  ^«, ,,,,,«^$§¶
§¤$««,,,,, «^, SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES ^,« ,,,,,««$¤§
@@¶§¤$^«,, ^«, IT TO HOLD ALL HIS  FOURTY EIGHT ,^« ,,«^$¤§¶@@
@§¤$$«,,,, ,,«            CARS.....             ,«, ,,,,«$$¤§@
§§§$«,,,,, ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, ,,,,,«$§§§
#@¶§¤$^«,,                                          ,,«^$¤§¶@#
§¤$««,,,,,                                          ,,,,,««$¤§
¶¶¶§¤$^«,,                                          ,,«^$¤§¶¶¶
§$«««,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«««$§
#@¶§¤$^«,,                                          ,,«^$¤§¶@#