,,«/*%&@## ##@&%*/«,,
,,«/*%&@## ##@&%*/«,,
,,«/*%&@## ##@&%*/«,,
,,«/*%## ###&%*/«,,
,,«/*%&&&@ @&&&%*/«,,
,,«/*%&@## ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, ##@&%*/«,,
,,«/*%&@## ,,/ 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..... ,«, ##@&%*/«,,
,,,,,,,«*& ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, &*«,,,,,,,
,,,««/**&@ @&**/««,,,
,,«/*%&@## ##@&%*/«,,
,,«/*%&@## ##@&%*/«,,
,,«/*%&@## ##@&%*/«,,
,,,««*%%@# #@%%*««,,,