&¨¨&¨&¨¨&& &¨&&¨&¨&&¨
&¨&&¨&¨&¨& &¨¨&¨&¨¨&¨
&¨¨&¨&¨&¨& &¨&&¨&¨&&¨
&¨&&¨&¨&¨& &¨¨&¨&¨¨&¨
&¨¨&¨&¨&¨& &¨&&¨&¨&&¨
&¨&&¨&¨&¨& ¨¨¨,,,////////////////////////////,,,¨¨¨ &¨¨&¨&¨¨&¨
&¨¨&¨&¨&¨& ¨,/ 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..... ,»¨ &¨&&¨&¨&&¨
&¨&&¨&¨&¨& ¨¨¨,,,////////////////////////////,,,¨¨¨ &¨¨&¨&¨¨&¨
&¨¨&¨&¨&¨& &¨&&¨&¨&&¨
&¨&&¨&¨&¨& &¨¨&¨&¨¨&¨
&¨¨&¨&¨&¨& &¨&&¨&¨&&¨
&¨&&¨&¨&¨& &¨¨&¨&¨¨&¨
&¨¨&¨&¨&¨& &¨&&¨&¨&&¨