,§,,§,§§§§                                          ,,,,§§,§,,
,§§,§§§,,,                                          §,,,§,§§§,
,§,§§,,§,,                                          §§,,§§§,,§
§§§§,§,§§,                                          §,§,§,,§,§
,,,,§§§§,§                                          ,§§§§§,§§§
§,,,§,,,§§ ,,,,,,============================,,,,,, §§,,,,§§,,
§§,,§§,,§, ,,=            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.....            ,«, §§,,§§,,,,
§§,,,§§,§§ ,,,,,,============================,,,,,, ,,§,§,§,,,
§,§,,§,§§,                                          §,§§§§§§,,
§§§§,§§§,§                                          §§§,,,,,§,
§,,,§§,,§§                                          ,,,§,,,,§§
,§,,§,§,§,                                          §,,§§,,,§,
,§§,§§§§§§                                          §§,§,§,,§§