,-»^*§@¶## ##¶@§*^»-,
,,,,--»»*@ @*»»--,,,,
,-»^*§@¶## ##¶@§*^»-,
,,,,,»^§§¶ ¶§§^»,,,,,
,-»^*§@¶## ##¶@§*^»-,
,,,,,,»»*@ ,,,---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---,,, @*»»,,,,,,
,,,»»***@# ,-^ 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..... -», ##¶@§*^»-,
,,,,,-^§¶# ,,,---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---,,, #¶§^-,,,,,
,,,,,,»*§@ @§*»,,,,,,
,,,-^^*@¶¶ ¶¶@*^^-,,,
,-»^*§@### ###@§*^»-,
,-»^**§@¶¶ ¶¶@§**^»-,
,-»^*§@¶## ##¶@§*^»-,