¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨ ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§§¨§§¨¨§§¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§§¨§§¨§¨§¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§§¨§§¨§¨§¨ ¨¨¨~~~////////////////////////////~~~¨¨¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨~/ 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..... ~»¨ ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§§¨§§¨§¨§¨ ¨¨¨~~~////////////////////////////~~~¨¨¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§§¨§§¨§¨§¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨
§§¨§§¨§¨§¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨§¨§§¨§¨§¨