@*\«~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~«\*@
£@*\«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«\*@£
@£@*\«~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~«\*@£@
@@£@*\«~¨¨ ¨¨~«\*@£@@
#@@£@*\«~¨ ¨~«\*@£@@#
@@£@*\«~¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨~«\*@£@@
@£@*\«~¨¨¨ ¨~\ 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..... ~«¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«\
*\«~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«\*
@*\«~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~«\*@
£@*\«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«\*@£
@£@*\«~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~«\*@£@
@@£@*\«~¨¨ ¨¨~«\*@£@@
#@@£@*\«~¨ ¨~«\*@£@@#