.-«=§*¤@## ##@¤*§=«-.
..-«=§*¤@# #@¤*§=«-..
...-«=§*¤@ @¤*§=«-...
....-«=§*¤ ¤*§=«-....
.....-«=§* *§=«-.....
......-«=§ ...---============================---... §=«-......
.......-«= .-= 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..... -«. @¤*§=«-...
....-«=§*¤ ...---============================---... ¤*§=«-....
.....-«=§* *§=«-.....
......-«=§ §=«-......
.......-«= =«-.......
........-« «-........
.......-«= =«-.......