,,,§,§§§§, §§,§,§,§§§
,,§§§,,,§, ,§§§§§§,,§
,§,,§,,§§§ §,,,,,§,§§
§§,§§,§,,, §,,,,§§§,§
,§§,§§§,,§ §,,,§,,§§,
§,§§,,§,§§ ,,,~~~;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~~~,,, §,,§§,§,§,
§§,§,§§§,§ ,~; 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..... ~«, §,§,§,§,,,
§,§,,§,,,, ,,,~~~;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~~~,,, §§§§§§§,,§
§§§,§§,,,, ,,,,,,§,§,
,,§§,§,,,, ,,,,,§§§§§
,§,§§§,,,§ ,,,,§,,,,§
§§§,,§,,§, ,,,§§,,,§§
,,§,§§,§§§ ,,§,§,,§,,