,,,,,,,,,- -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«* *«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«** **«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«**£ £**«-,,,,,
,,,,-«**£& ,,,---****************************---,,, &£**«-,,,,
,,,-«**£&# ,-* 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..... -«, *«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« ,,,---****************************---,,, «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«* *«-,,,,,,,