###§$*/~,,                                          ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,,                                          ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,,                                          ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,,                                          ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,,                                          ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ,,/            THE  SPIRE            ~/, ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ~/,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~, ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, /~, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    /,~ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, /,~ BENEVOLENT SPIRE,  TOWERING WELL ,/~ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ,/~ ABOVE  OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ,~/ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ,~/ CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED ~,/ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ~,/        LIKED  A  MUSHROOM.       ~/, ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ~/,      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      /~, ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, /~,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/,~ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, /,~ IT  PREDATED US  BY MANY  YEARS, ,/~ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ,/~ AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ,~/ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ,~/ BUILDERS.  THEY  HAD  USED  ITS  ~,/ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ~,/ HOLLOW  BODY  FOR MANY  STRANGE  ~/, ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ~/, PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE  OF  /~, ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, /~,  GESTATION, A STORAGE  OF STRAGE /,~ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, /,~ FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF ,/~ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ,/~    ARCANE   DEITY.               ,~/ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ,~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,/ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ~,/  WE   WERE   GRATEFUL  FOR  ITS  ~/, ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ~/,  PRESENCE,  AND HONORED  IT  THE /~, ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, /~,  ONLY  WAY  WE  KNEW  HOW:   BY  /,~ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ,,~        BREAKING       IN.        ,~, ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,,                                          ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,,                                          ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ,~/ THIS  PLACE WE CALLED  OUR CITY: ,/~ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ,/~  WAVY  AND FRACTURED, WITH  EACH /,~ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, /,~ COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, /~, ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, /~, ROADS BECOMING  ROOFS  BECOMING  ~/, ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ~/, DRAINS. AND  SOME  PLACES, LIKE  ~,/ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ~,/ THE SPIRE, NOBODY  HAD ACCESSED  ,~/ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ,~/ FOR  MANY YEARS. ONCE  ITS WALLS ,/~ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ,/~  ARE JUST  TOO  HIGH,  AND  THE  /,~ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, /,~ INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, /~, ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, /~, A PLACE AMONG OTHERS  IS EASILY  ~/, ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ~/,            OVERLOOKED.           ,~/ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ,~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,/~ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ,/~  SO, BASICALLY, THAT  SUMMER THE /,~ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, /,~ FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND ~,/ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, /~, CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR ~/, ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ~/, A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND ~,/ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ~,/  PLAY MUSIC  ON OUR HANDHELDS.   ,~/ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ,~/  INSTEAD  WE  FOUND  VAST LUNGS  ,/~ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ,/~   DRAINED  OF   THEIR  CATALYST  /,~ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, /,~ SLUDGE,  AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO /~, ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, /~, MAKE SENSE OF OUR ROAMINGS  FOR  ~/, ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ~/,       YEARS   TO   COME.         ~,/ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ~,/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,~/ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ,~/ A  CENTRAL SPINE,  A  STAIRCASE  ,/~ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ,/~  AROUND  IT, THE  SEVEN TOROIDAL /,~ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, /,~  LUNGS  STACKED OUTSIDE, AND THE /~, ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, /~, CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS ~/, ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ~/, FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES ~,/ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ~,/  FOR  RADIATING  CONSCIOUSNESS   ,~/ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ,~/           INVITATIONS.           ,/, ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,,                                          ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ,,/ IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS /~, ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ~/,  TOPPLED AND EATEN  BY MACHINES. /,~ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, /~, AFTER  A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS ,/~ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, /,~  CONJURED  IN ITS PLACE. IT'S A  ,~/ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ,/~ TINY  MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN ~,/ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ,~/  US,  AND  WE  LET  IT BE.  OUR  ~/, ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ~,/ JOURNEYS STILL  END AT ITS FEET. /~, ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ~/,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/,~ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, /~,  BUT THEN WE ARE  BETRAYED.  THE ,/~ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, /,~ NEW  TOWER EATS US.  OTHERS  ARE ,~/ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ,/~ SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE ~,/ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ,~/ MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT,  ONLY  TO  ~/, ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ~,/  DISAPPEAR  IN THE EVENING  FOG. /~, ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ~/, FOR  A  WHILE  ITS SOME  KIND OF /,~ ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, /~, TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED ,/~ ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, /,~ OUTSIDE, AND  WE GET BEATEN UP A ,~/ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, ,/~  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  ~,/ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ,~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/, ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ~,/  IIRC  IT'S CURRENTLY  OWNED  BY /~, ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,, ~/, SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES /,~ ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,, /~,  IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ,/~ ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,, ,,~            CARS.....             ,~, ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,, ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,,                                          ,,~/*$§###
##§$*/~,,,                                          ,,,~/*$§##
#§$*/~,,,,                                          ,,,,~/*$§#
##§$*/~,,,                                          ,,,~/*$§##
###§$*/~,,                                          ,,~/*$§###