,,,~-*†&§£                                          £§&†*-~,,,
,,,,~-*†&§                                          §&†*-~,,,,
,,,~-*†&§£                                          £§&†*-~,,,
,,~-*†&§£#                                          #£§&†*-~,,
,~-*†&§£##                                          ##£§&†*-~,
,,~-*†&§£# ,,,~~~****************************~~~,,, #£§&†*-~,,
,,,~-*†&§£ ,~*            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.....            ~-, £§&†*-~,,,
,,~-*†&§£# ,,,~~~****************************~~~,,, #£§&†*-~,,
,~-*†&§£##                                          ##£§&†*-~,
,,~-*†&§£#                                          #£§&†*-~,,
,,,~-*†&§£                                          £§&†*-~,,,
,,,,~-*†&§                                          §&†*-~,,,,
,,,~-*†&§£                                          £§&†*-~,,,