,-«*$¤£###                                          ###£¤$*«-,
,,,,,-*¤##                                          ##¤*-,,,,,
,-«*$¤£###                                          ###£¤$*«-,
,,,,,«**$£                                          £$**«,,,,,
,-«*$¤£###                                          ###£¤$*«-,
,,----««$£ ,,,---****************************---,,, £$««----,,
,-«*$¤£### ,-*            THE  SPIRE            «*, ###£¤$*«-,
,,,-***$£# «*-««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««*«- #£$***-,,,
,-«*$¤£### *«- ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    *-« ###£¤$*«-,
,,-«**$£## *-« BENEVOLENT SPIRE,  TOWERING WELL -*« ##£$**«-,,
,-«*$¤£### -*« ABOVE  OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS -«* ###£¤$*«-,
,,,,,-**¤# -«* 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 *«- £¤$$*«---,
,--««*¤¤¤£ «*-  TOPPLED AND EATEN BY  MACHINES. *-« £¤¤¤*««--,
,-«*$¤£### *«- AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW  IS -*« ###£¤$*«-,
,,,-*$¤£## *-« CONJURED  IN ITS PLACE. IT'S  A  -«* ##£¤$*-,,,
,-«*$¤£### -*« TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER  THAN «-* ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£### -«*  US, AND  WE  LET  IT  BE.  OUR  «*- ###£¤$*«-,
,-««**¤¤¤# «-* JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS  FEET. *«- #¤¤¤**««-,
,-«*$¤£### «*-««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««*-« ###£¤$*«-,
,,,,,,-«$£ *«- BUT THEN  WE  ARE BETRAYED.  THE -*« £$«-,,,,,,
,-«*$¤¤¤¤£ *-«  NEW TOWER  EATS US. OTHERS ARE  -«* £¤¤¤¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£### -*« SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE «-* ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£### -«*  MANIFESTED  OVERNIGHT,  ONLY TO «*- ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£### «-* DISAPPEAR IN  THE EVENING  FOG.  *«- ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£### «*- FOR A  WHILE ITS  SOME KIND  OF  *-« ###£¤$*«-,
,-«****$££ *«- TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED -*« ££$****«-,
,-«*$¤££## *-« OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A  -«* ##££¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£### -*«  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  «-* ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£### -«*«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««*- ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£££# «-*  IIRC  IT'S CURRENTLY  OWNED  BY *«- #£££¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£### «*- SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES *-« ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£### *«- IT  TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT -*« ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£### ,-«             CARS.....            -«, ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*¤£#### ,,,---****************************---,,, ####£¤*«-,
,-«*$¤£###                                          ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£###                                          ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£###                                          ###£¤$*«-,
,-«*$¤£###                                          ###£¤$*«-,
,,,,«$$$££                                          ££$$$«,,,,