,,,,,,:»*& &*»:,,,,,,
,:»**&@@## ##@@&**»:,
,:»**%&@## ##@&%**»:,
,:»**%&@@# #@@&%**»:,
,:»**%&@## ##@&%**»:,
,,,,,»»*%@ ,,,:::****************************:::,,, @%*»»,,,,,
,:»**%&@## ,:* 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..... :», @&*»»»,,,,
,,,»»»*&&@ ,,,:::****************************:::,,, @&&*»»»,,,
,:»**%&@## ##@&%**»:,
,:»**%@@## ##@@%**»:,
,:»**%&@@# #@@&%**»:,
,:»**%&@@# #@@&%**»:,
,,,,»»*%&@ @&%*»»,,,,