,¤¤¤,¤¤,,, ¤¤¤¤,,,¤¤¤
¤¤,,¤¤,¤,, ¤,,,¤,,¤,,
¤,¤,¤,¤¤¤, ,¤,,¤¤,¤¤,
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤,,¤ ,¤¤,¤,¤¤,¤
,,,,,,,¤,¤ ,¤,¤¤¤¤,¤¤
¤,,,,,,¤¤¤ ,,,~~~////////////////////////////~~~,,, ,¤¤¤,,,¤¤,
¤¤,,,,,¤,, ,~/ 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..... ~«, ,¤,,,,¤,,,
,¤,,,¤¤¤¤¤ ,,,~~~////////////////////////////~~~,,, ,¤¤,,,¤¤,,
,¤¤,,¤,,,, ,¤,¤,,¤,¤,
,¤,¤,¤¤,,, ¤¤¤¤¤,¤¤¤¤
¤¤¤¤¤¤,¤,, ¤,,,,¤¤,,,
¤,,,,,¤¤¤, ¤¤,,,¤,¤,,
¤¤,,,,¤,,¤ ¤,¤,,¤¤¤¤,