~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-
\-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨~\ 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..... ~-¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-\
†\-~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-\†
§†\-~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~-\†§
&§†\-~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~-\†§&
@&§†\-~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~-\†§&@
@@&§†\-~¨¨ ¨¨~-\†§&@@
#@@&§†\-~¨ ¨~-\†§&@@#