¨¨¨¨¨»§@@@ @@@§»¨¨¨¨¨
¨~»:§%@@@@ @@@@%§:»~¨
¨~»:§%@@@# #@@@%§:»~¨
¨~»:§%@@@# #@@@%§:»~¨
¨~»:§%@@## ##@@%§:»~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~:§@ ¨¨¨~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~¨¨¨ @§:~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~»:§%@@@@ ¨~: 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..... ~»¨ @@@@%§:»~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~»:%@ ¨¨¨~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~¨¨¨ @%:»~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~»:§%@@@@ @@@@%§:»~¨
¨~»:§§§§%@ @%§§§§:»~¨
¨~»:§%%@@@ @@@%%§:»~¨
¨~»:§%@@@@ @@@@%§:»~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~:%%@ @%%:~¨¨¨¨¨