#§$^:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:^$§#
#§$^:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:^$§#
@§$$^::::¨                                          ¨::::^$$§@
##@§$$^~:¨                                          ¨:~^$$§@##
#§$$^~:::¨                                          ¨:::~^$$§#
##@§$$^~:¨ ¨¨¨:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::¨¨¨ ¨:~^$$§@##
@§$^:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨:^            THE  SPIRE            ~^¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:^$§@
§$$$~~::¨¨ ~^:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~: ¨¨::~~$$$§
##@§$$^~:¨ ^~: ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    ^:~ ¨:~^$$§@##
#§$$^::::¨ ^:~ BENEVOLENT SPIRE,  TOWERING WELL :^~ ¨::::^$$§#
##@§$$^~:¨ :^~ ABOVE OUR TALLEST  TREES. IT WAS :~^ ¨:~^$$§@##
##@§$$^~:¨ :~^ CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED ~:^ ¨:~^$$§@##
###§$$^~:¨ ~:^        LIKED  A  MUSHROOM.       ~^: ¨:~^$$§###
##@§$$^~:¨ ~^:      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      ^~: ¨:~^$$§@##
###@§$^~:¨ ^~:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^:~ ¨:~^$§@###
##@§$$^~:¨ ^:~ IT  PREDATED  US  BY MANY YEARS, :^~ ¨:~^$$§@##
##@§$$^~:¨ :^~ AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL :~^ ¨:~^$$§@##
@@@§$$^~:¨ :~^  BUILDERS. THEY  HAD  USED  ITS  ~:^ ¨:~^$$§@@@
##@§$$^~:¨ ~:^  HOLLOW  BODY FOR MANY  STRANGE  ~^: ¨:~^$$§@##
##@§$$^~:¨ ~^: PURPOSES  -  A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF ^~: ¨:~^$$§@##
#§$$$~::¨¨ ^~:  GESTATION,  A STORAGE OF STRAGE ^:~ ¨¨::~$$$§#
§$$$~~::¨¨ ^:~ FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF :^~ ¨¨::~~$$$§
##@§$$^~:¨ :^~    ARCANE    DEITY.              :~^ ¨:~^$$§@##
##@§$$^~:¨ :~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:^ ¨:~^$$§@##
#§$$^:::¨¨ ~:^  WE   WERE  GRATEFUL  FOR  ITS   ~^: ¨¨:::^$$§#
##@§$$^~:¨ ~^:  PRESENCE,  AND  HONORED IT THE  ^~: ¨:~^$$§@##
@@$^^^~¨¨¨ ^~:  ONLY  WAY  WE  KNEW  HOW:  BY   ^:~ ¨¨¨~^^^$@@
##@§$$^~:¨ ¨:~        BREAKING       IN.        :~¨ ¨:~^$$§@##
#@@§$$^~:¨ ¨¨¨:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::¨¨¨ ¨:~^$$§@@#
@@§$~:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:~$§@@
###@§$^~:¨                                          ¨:~^$§@###
@§§$$^::¨¨ ¨¨¨:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::¨¨¨ ¨¨::^$$§§@
##@§$$^~:¨ ¨~^ THIS PLACE WE CALLED OUR  CITY:  :^~ ¨:~^$$§@##
@$$$~~¨¨¨¨ :^~ WAVY  AND  FRACTURED, WITH EACH  ^:~ ¨¨¨¨~~$$$@
@$$~:¨¨¨¨¨ ^:~ COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, ^~: ¨¨¨¨¨:~$$@
@§§$^:¨¨¨¨ ^~:  ROADS  BECOMING ROOFS  BECOMING ~^: ¨¨¨¨:^$§§@
##@§$$^~:¨ ~^:  DRAINS. AND SOME  PLACES, LIKE  ~:^ ¨:~^$$§@##
###§$$^~:¨ ~:^  THE SPIRE, NOBODY  HAD ACCESSED :~^ ¨:~^$$§###
@§$^~:¨¨¨¨ :~^ FOR  MANY YEARS. ONCE ITS  WALLS :^~ ¨¨¨¨:~^$§@
#§$$^~¨¨¨¨ :^~ ARE  JUST  TOO  HIGH,  AND  THE  ^:~ ¨¨¨¨~^$$§#
§$$$^^^~:¨ ^:~ INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, ^~: ¨:~^^^$$$§
##@§$$^~:¨ ^~: A PLACE  AMONG  OTHERS IS EASILY ~^: ¨:~^$$§@##
#§$$^^:¨¨¨ ~^:            OVERLOOKED.           :~^ ¨¨¨:^^$$§#
##@§$$^~:¨ :~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:^~ ¨:~^$$§@##
###@§$$^~: :^~  SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER  THE ^:~ :~^$$§@###
#@$^^^~:¨¨ ^:~ FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND ~:^ ¨¨:~^^^$@#
#§$^:¨¨¨¨¨ ^~: CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR ~^: ¨¨¨¨¨:^$§#
@§$^:¨¨¨¨¨ ~^: A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND ~:^ ¨¨¨¨¨:^$§@
§$~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~:^ PLAY MUSIC  ON OUR  HANDHELDS.   :~^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~$§
§$$$^^~¨¨¨ :~^  INSTEAD  WE  FOUND VAST  LUNGS  :^~ ¨¨¨~^^$$$§
@$^~~:¨¨¨¨ :^~  DRAINED  OF  THEIR   CATALYST   ^:~ ¨¨¨¨:~~^$@
§$$$$~~¨¨¨ ^:~  SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO ^~: ¨¨¨~~$$$$§
#@@§$$^~:¨ ^~: 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.....             :~¨ ¨¨¨:~^$$§@
§$$^^::¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::¨¨¨ ¨¨¨::^^$$§
##@§$$^~:¨                                          ¨:~^$$§@##
§$^~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~^$§
###§$$^~:¨                                          ¨:~^$$§###
@§$$$~:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:~$$$§@
@§$$^~~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~~^$$§@