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