&&,&,&&&&, &,&&,&,&,,
,&,&,,&&&, &,,&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,&&, &,&&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,,&, &,,&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,&&, &,&&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,,&, ,,,...****************************...,,, &,,&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,&&, ,.* 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..... .«, &,&&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,,&, ,,,...****************************...,,, &,,&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,&&, &,&&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,,&, &,,&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,&&, &,&&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,,&, &,,&,&,&,&
,&,&,&,&&, &,&&,&,&,&