#&*%\-:,,, ,,,:-\%*
&*%\-:,,,, ,,,,:-\%*&
*%\-:,,,,, ,,,,,:-\%*
%\-:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:-\%
\-:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:-\
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,:::\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\:::,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
:,,,,,,,,, ,:\ 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..... :-, ,,,,,,,,,:
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,:::\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\:::,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
\-:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:-\
%\-:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:-\%
*%\-:,,,,, ,,,,,:-\%*
&*%\-:,,,, ,,,,:-\%*&
#&*%\-:,,, ,,,:-\%*