¨¨:«=†#¶##                                          ##¶#†=«:¨¨
¨¨¨:«=†#¶#                                          #¶#†=«:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:«=†#¶                                          ¶#†=«:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:«=†#¶#                                          #¶#†=«:¨¨¨
¨¨:«=†#¶##                                          ##¶#†=«:¨¨
¨:«=†#¶### ¨¨¨:::============================:::¨¨¨ ###¶#†=«:¨
¨¨:«=†#¶## ¨:=            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.....             :«¨ ¶#†=«:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:«=†#¶# ¨¨¨:::============================:::¨¨¨ #¶#†=«:¨¨¨
¨¨:«=†#¶##                                          ##¶#†=«:¨¨
¨:«=†#¶###                                          ###¶#†=«:¨
¨¨:«=†#¶##                                          ##¶#†=«:¨¨
¨¨¨:«=†#¶#                                          #¶#†=«:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:«=†#¶                                          ¶#†=«:¨¨¨¨