...£..£££. ..£..£...£
.£.....£.. £......£..
...£££.... ..££££...£
.£..£..£££ £..££..£..
........££ .........£
.££££££... ...,,,============================,,,... ££££££££..
..££££..££ .,= 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..... ,«. ££££££££££
££££££££££ ...,,,============================,,,... ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££