,§,,,,§§,§ ,§,§§§§§§§
§§,,,§,§§, §§§,,,,,,§
,§,,§§§,§§ ,,§,,,,,§,
§§,§,,§§,, ,§§,,,,§§,
,§§§,§,§,, §,§,,,§,§§
§,,§§§§§,§ ,,,^^^\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\^^^,,, §§§,,§§§,§
§,§,,,,§§, ,^\ 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..... ^«, ,§,,§,,,§§
§,§§,,§,,, ,,,^^^\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\^^^,,, §§,§§,,§,,
§§,§,§§,,, ,§§,§,§§,§
,§§§§,§,,§ §,§§§§,§§,
§,,,§§§,§§ §§,,,§§,§,
§,,§,,§§,, ,§,,§,§§§§
§,§§,§,§,§ §§,§§§,,,,