¨^«/*%¤¶##                                          ##¶¤%*/«^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨««*¤                                          ¤*««¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^/%%¶                                          ¶%%/^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^«/*%¶###                                          ###¶%*/«^¨
¨^«/*%¤¶##                                          ##¶¤%*/«^¨
¨^«/*%¤¶## ¨¨¨^^^////////////////////////////^^^¨¨¨ ##¶¤%*/«^¨
¨¨¨¨¨«/*%¶ ¨^/            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.....            ^«¨ ¶¤*/^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^«/***%¤¶ ¨¨¨^^^////////////////////////////^^^¨¨¨ ¶¤%***/«^¨
¨^«/*%¤¶##                                          ##¶¤%*/«^¨
¨^«/*%¤¶¶#                                          #¶¶¤%*/«^¨
¨¨¨¨^/*%¤#                                          #¤%*/^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«*¤#                                          #¤*«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨^^«*%%¤¶                                          ¶¤%%*«^^¨¨