,,,.-^^*@# #@*^^-.,,,
,,.-^^*@## ##@*^^-.,,
,.-^^*@### ###@*^^-.,
,,.-^^*@## ##@*^^-.,,
,,,.-^^*@# #@*^^-.,,,
,,,,.-^^*@ ,,,...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^...,,, @*^^-.,,,,
,,,.-^^*@# ,.^ 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..... .-, ###@*^^-.,
,,.-^^*@## ,,,...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^...,,, ##@*^^-.,,
,,,.-^^*@# #@*^^-.,,,
,,,,.-^^*@ @*^^-.,,,,
,,,.-^^*@# #@*^^-.,,,
,,.-^^*@## ##@*^^-.,,
,.-^^*@### ###@*^^-.,