§,,§,§§,,§ §§,§,,§§§,
§,§§§,§,§, ,§§§,§,,§§
§§,,§§§§§, §,,§§§,§,,
,§,§,,,,§, §,§,,§§§,§
§§§§,,,§§§ §§§,§,,§§§
,,,§,,§,,, ,,,^^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;^^^,,, ,,§§§,§,,,
,,§§,§§,,§ ,^; 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..... ^-, §,§§§,,§,,
,,,,§§,,§, ,,,^^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;^^^,,, §§,,§,§§,,
,,,§,§,§§§ ,§,§§§,§,,
,,§§§§§,,, §§§,,§§§,,
,§,,,,§,,, ,,§,§,,§,,
§§,,,§§,,, ,§§§§,§§,,
,§,,§,§,,§ §,,,§§,§,§