¨^«=§%####                                          ####%§=«^¨
¨¨^«=§%###                                          ###%§=«^¨¨
¨¨¨^«=§%##                                          ##%§=«^¨¨¨
¨¨^«=§%###                                          ###%§=«^¨¨
¨^«=§%####                                          ####%§=«^¨
¨¨^«=§%### ¨¨¨^^^============================^^^¨¨¨ ###%§=«^¨¨
¨¨¨^«=§%## ¨^=            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.....            ^«¨ ##%§=«^¨¨¨
¨¨^«=§%### ¨¨¨^^^============================^^^¨¨¨ ###%§=«^¨¨
¨^«=§%####                                          ####%§=«^¨
¨¨^«=§%###                                          ###%§=«^¨¨
¨¨¨^«=§%##                                          ##%§=«^¨¨¨
¨¨^«=§%###                                          ###%§=«^¨¨
¨^«=§%####                                          ####%§=«^¨