§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§§§¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨¨§¨ ¨¨¨---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---¨¨¨ ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨§ ¨-^            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.....            --¨ ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨§§                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨