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