§§§,,§,§,§ ,,,,,§,§§,
§,,§,§§§§§ §,,,,§§§,§
,§,§§§,,,, ,§,,,§,,§§
§§§§,,§,,, ,§§,,§§,§,
§,,,§,§§,, ,§,§,§,§§§
,§,,§§§,§, ,,,^^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;^^^,,, ,§§§§§§§,,
,§§,§,,§§§ ,^; 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..... ^«, §,,,,§,§,,
§,,§,,,§§§ ,,,^^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;^^^,,, §§,,,§§§§,
§§,§§,,§,, §,§,,§,,,§
,,§§,§,§§, ,§§§,§§,,§
§,§,§§§§,§ ,§,,§§,§,§
,§§§§,,,§§ §§§,§,§§§§
§§,,,§,,§, §,,§§§§,,,