¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨ ¨¨¨...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^...¨¨¨ ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨ ¨.^            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.....             .-¨ §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨ ¨¨¨...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^...¨¨¨ ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§