,,-«*^&@## ##@&^*«-,,
,-«*^&@### ###@&^*«-,
,,-«*^&@## ##@&^*«-,,
,,,-«*^&@# #@&^*«-,,,
,,,,-«*^&@ @&^*«-,,,,
,,,,,-«*^& ,,,---****************************---,,, &^*«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«*^ ,-* 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..... -«, ^*«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«*^& ,,,---****************************---,,, &^*«-,,,,,
,,,,-«*^&@ @&^*«-,,,,
,,,-«*^&@# #@&^*«-,,,
,,-«*^&@## ##@&^*«-,,
,-«*^&@### ###@&^*«-,
,,-«*^&@## ##@&^*«-,,