¨¨¨¨¨^«=*§                                          §*=«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«=*                                          *=«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«=                                          =«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«                                          «^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«=                                          =«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«=* ¨¨¨^^^============================^^^¨¨¨ *=«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«=*§ ¨^=            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.....            ^«¨ =«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^« ¨¨¨^^^============================^^^¨¨¨ «^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«=                                          =«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«=*                                          *=«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«=*§                                          §*=«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^«=*§#                                          #§*=«^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^«=*§#@                                          @#§*=«^¨¨¨