.,«^=$§¶##                                          ##¶§$=^«,.
..,«^=$§¶#                                          #¶§$=^«,..
...,«^=$§¶                                          ¶§$=^«,...
....,«^=$§                                          §$=^«,....
.....,«^=$                                          $=^«,.....
....,«^=$§ ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... §$=^«,....
...,«^=$§¶ .,^            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.....            ,«. ¶§$=^«,...
..,«^=$§¶# ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... #¶§$=^«,..
.,«^=$§¶##                                          ##¶§$=^«,.
..,«^=$§¶#                                          #¶§$=^«,..
...,«^=$§¶                                          ¶§$=^«,...
....,«^=$§                                          §$=^«,....
.....,«^=$                                          $=^«,.....