,.-*%*@¶## ##¶@*%*-.,
,,,,,,-%@¶ ¶@%-,,,,,,
,,,,--%@¶¶ ¶¶@%--,,,,
,,,,.*%**¶ ¶**%*.,,,,
,.-*%*@### ###@*%*-.,
,.-*%*@¶## ,,,...****************************...,,, ##¶@*%*-.,
,,,,-%*@@¶ ,.* 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..... .-, ##¶@*%*-.,
,,,,.--%@# ,,,...****************************...,,, #@%--.,,,,
,.-*%*@¶## ##¶@*%*-.,
,.-*%*@¶## ##¶@*%*-.,
,,,,.****¶ ¶****.,,,,
,,,,,.-%@¶ ¶@%-.,,,,,
,.-*%*@@@@ @@@@*%*-.,