,,«:*£§@##                                          ##@§£*:«,,
,,«:::£££§                                          §£££:::«,,
,,«:*£§@##                                          ##@§£*:«,,
,,«:*£§@@#                                          #@@§£*:«,,
,,«:*£§@##                                          ##@§£*:«,,
,,«:*£§@## ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, ##@§£*:«,,
,,,,«««:£@ ,,:            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.....            ,«, §£:««««,,,
,,«:*£§@## ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, ##@§£*:«,,
,,«:*£§@##                                          ##@§£*:«,,
,,,,,:£§@@                                          @@§£:,,,,,
,,«:*£§@@#                                          #@@§£*:«,,
,,,,,,«*§§                                          §§*«,,,,,,
,,««::*£§#                                          #§£*::««,,