,,«*$§§#@#                                          #@#§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§###                                          ###§§$*«,,
,,«*$$$$$§                                          §$$$$$*«,,
,,«*$§#@##                                          ##@#§$*«,,
,,«*$§§§§#                                          #§§§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§§§@ ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, @§§§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§§§# ,,*            THE  SPIRE            «*, #§§§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§### «*,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««*«, ###§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§### *«, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    *,« ###§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§#@@ *,« BENEVOLENT SPIRE,  TOWERING WELL ,*« @@#§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§#@@ ,*« ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS  ,«* @@#§§$*«,,
,,,,,***$§ ,«* CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «,* §$***,,,,,
,,«*$§#@## «,*       LIKED   A  MUSHROOM.       «*, ##@#§$*«,,
,,«*$§§#@# «*,      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      *«, #@#§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§§§@ *«,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««*,« @§§§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§### *,« IT PREDATED US BY  MANY  YEARS,  ,*« ###§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§### ,*« AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ,«* ###§§$*«,,
,,«*$$$§§§ ,«*  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 ,«* #§§§**«,,,
,,«*$§§##@ ,*«  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  «,* @##§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§§§# ,«*«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««*, #§§§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§#@@ «,*  IIRC  IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED  BY  *«, @@#§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§#@# «*, SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES *,« #@#§§$*«,,
,,,,«$§§§# *«, IT TO HOLD ALL  HIS FOURTY EIGHT ,*« #§§§$«,,,,
,,«*$§§#@@ ,,«            CARS.....             ,«, @@#§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§@## ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, ##@§§$*«,,
,,,,,«$§##                                          ##§$«,,,,,
,,«*$§§#@#                                          #@#§§$*«,,
,,«*$§§§#@                                          @#§§§$*«,,
,,,,,«*§#@                                          @#§*«,,,,,
,,,,,,«$§§                                          §§$«,,,,,,