§^»-...... ......-»^§
^»-....... .......-»^
»-........ ........-»
-......... .........-
.......... ..........
-......... ...---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---... .........-
»-........ .-^ 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..... -». ..-»^§¤#¶@
¶#¤§^»-... ...---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---... ...-»^§¤#¶
#¤§^»-.... ....-»^§¤#
¤§^»-..... .....-»^§¤
§^»-...... ......-»^§
^»-....... .......-»^
»-........ ........-»