¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨ &¨&&¨&&¨&&
&&¨&&¨¨¨¨¨ &&¨&&¨&&¨&
¨&&¨&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨&&¨&&¨&&¨
&¨&&&¨¨¨¨& &¨&&¨&&¨&¨
&&¨¨&¨¨¨&¨ &&¨&&¨&&&&
¨&¨&&¨¨&&¨ ¨¨¨---============================---¨¨¨ ¨&&¨&&¨¨¨¨
&&&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨-= 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..... -~¨ ¨&&¨¨¨&¨¨¨
&&&&&¨&&&¨ ¨¨¨---============================---¨¨¨ &¨&¨¨&&¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨&&¨¨&¨ &&&¨&¨&¨¨&
¨¨¨&¨&¨&&& ¨¨&&&&&¨&&
¨¨&&&&&¨¨¨ ¨&¨¨¨¨&&¨&
¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨& &&¨¨¨&¨&&&
&&¨¨¨&&¨&& ¨&¨¨&&&¨¨&