,^«*%*&###                                          ###&*%*«^,
,,^«*%*&##                                          ##&*%*«^,,
,^«*%*&###                                          ###&*%*«^,
,,^«*%*&##                                          ##&*%*«^,,
,^«*%*&###                                          ###&*%*«^,
,,^«*%*&## ,,,^^^****************************^^^,,, ##&*%*«^,,
,^«*%*&### ,^*            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.....            ^«, ###&*%*«^,
,,^«*%*&## ,,,^^^****************************^^^,,, ##&*%*«^,,
,^«*%*&###                                          ###&*%*«^,
,,^«*%*&##                                          ##&*%*«^,,
,^«*%*&###                                          ###&*%*«^,
,,^«*%*&##                                          ##&*%*«^,,
,^«*%*&###                                          ###&*%*«^,