¨^«=†#####                                          #####†=«^¨
¨¨^«=†####                                          ####†=«^¨¨
¨^«=†#####                                          #####†=«^¨
¨¨^«=†####                                          ####†=«^¨¨
¨^«=†#####                                          #####†=«^¨
¨¨^«=†#### ¨¨¨^^^============================^^^¨¨¨ ####†=«^¨¨
¨^«=†##### ¨^=            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.....             ^«¨ #####†=«^¨
¨¨^«=†#### ¨¨¨^^^============================^^^¨¨¨ ####†=«^¨¨
¨^«=†#####                                          #####†=«^¨
¨¨^«=†####                                          ####†=«^¨¨
¨^«=†#####                                          #####†=«^¨
¨¨^«=†####                                          ####†=«^¨¨
¨^«=†#####                                          #####†=«^¨