¨¨¨¨¨¨,-=† †=-,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-=†* *†=-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-=†*# #*†=-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-=†*#¶ ¶#*†=-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-=†*#¶# #¶#*†=-,¨¨
¨,-=†*#¶## ¨¨¨,,,============================,,,¨¨¨ ##¶#*†=-,¨
¨¨,-=†*#¶# ¨,= 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..... ,-¨ #*†=-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-=†*#¶ ¨¨¨,,,============================,,,¨¨¨ ¶#*†=-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-=†*#¶# #¶#*†=-,¨¨
¨,-=†*#¶## ##¶#*†=-,¨
¨¨,-=†*#¶# #¶#*†=-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-=†*#¶ ¶#*†=-,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-=†*# #*†=-,¨¨¨¨