......./&§ §&/.......
..../*&&&§ §&&&*/....
..-/*&¶### ###¶&*/-..
......-*&¶ ¶&*-......
..-/*&§¶## ##¶§&*/-..
..-/*&§¶¶# ......////////////////////////////...... #¶¶§&*/-..
..-/*&§§¶¶ ../ 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..... .-. #¶¶§&*/-..
..-/*&§¶## ......////////////////////////////...... ##¶§&*/-..
....//&&¶# #¶&&//....
..-/*&§¶## ##¶§&*/-..
..-/*&§¶## ##¶§&*/-..
..-/*&§¶## ##¶§&*/-..
..-/*&§¶## ##¶§&*/-..