¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨^^            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.....            ^«¨ @#&$^^«^¨¨
¨^«^^$&#@# ¨¨¨^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^¨¨¨ #@#&$^^«^¨
¨¨^«^^$&#@                                          @#&$^^«^¨¨
¨¨¨^«^^$&#                                          #&$^^«^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^«^^$&                                          &$^^«^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«^^$                                          $^^«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«^^                                          ^^«^¨¨¨¨¨¨