,,,§§,§§§,                                          §,§§,§§§,,
,,§,§§,,§,                                          §§,§§,,§,,
,§§§,§,§§§                                          ,§§,§,§§,,
§,,§§§§,,§                                          §,§§§§,§,,
§,§,,,§,§,                                          §§,,,§§§,§
§§§,,§§§§§ ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, ,§,,§,,§§,
,,§,§,,,,§ ,,*            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.....            ,=, §§,,,,,,,,
,§§§,,§§§§ ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, ,§,,,,,,,,
§,,§,§,,,§                                          §§,,,,,,,,
§,§§§§,,§§                                          ,§,,,,,,,§
§§,,,§,§,§                                          §§,,,,,,§,
,§,,§§§§§§                                          ,§,,,,,§§§
§§,§,,,,,,                                          §§,,,,§,,§