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