§§,§§,§§,,                                          ,,§§§,§§,§
,,§§,§§,§,                                          ,,§,,§§,§§
§,§,§§,§§§                                          §,§§,§,§§,
§§§§§,§§,,                                          §§§,§§§§,§
,,,,,§§,§,                                          ,,,§§,,,§§
§,,,,§,§§§ ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, §,,§,§,,§,
§§,,,§§§,, ,,^            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.....            ,=, ,§,§§,,§§§
,§§,§§,,,, ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, ,§§§,§,§,,
,§,§§,§,,,                                          §§,,§§§§§,
,§§§,§§§,,                                          ,,§,§,,,,§
§§,,§§,,§,                                          ,,§§§§,,,§
,,§,§,§,§§                                          §,§,,,§,,§
§,§§§§§§§,                                          §§§§,,§§,§