,,«^%*§¶##                                          ##¶§*%^«,,
,,,««%%§§¶                                          ¶§§%%««,,,
,,«^%*§¶##                                          ##¶§*%^«,,
,,«^%*§¶##                                          ##¶§*%^«,,
,,,«^%**§¶                                          ¶§**%^«,,,
,,«^%%%**§ ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, §**%%%^«,,
,,«^%%%**§ ,,^            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.....            ,«, ##¶§*%^«,,
,,,,,«%%%§ ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, §%%%«,,,,,
,,,,,,^**§                                          §**^,,,,,,
,,«^%*§¶¶#                                          #¶¶§*%^«,,
,,«^%*§¶##                                          ##¶§*%^«,,
,,«^%*§¶##                                          ##¶§*%^«,,
,,,,,,«%§¶                                          ¶§%«,,,,,,