#££$%:«... ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... .....«:%$£
$%:«...... ......«:%$
£$%:«..... .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... ......::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...... ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... ..: THE SPIRE «:. ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. «:.««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:«. ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... :«. ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A :.« ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... :.« BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL .:« ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... .:« ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS .«: .....«:%$£
$%:«...... .«: CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «.: ......«:%$
£$%:«..... «.: LIKED A MUSHROOM. «:. .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... «:. WE LOVED IT DEARLY. :«. ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... :«.««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:.« ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. :.« IT PREDATED US BY MANY YEARS, .:« ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... .:« AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL .«: ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... .«: BUILDERS. THEY HAD USED ITS «.: ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... «.: HOLLOW BODY FOR MANY STRANGE «:. .....«:%$£
$%:«...... «:. PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF :«. ......«:%$
£$%:«..... :«. GESTATION, A STORAGE OF STRAGE :.« .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... :.« FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF .:« ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... .:« ARCANE DEITY. .«: ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. .«:«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««.: ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... «.: WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR ITS «:. ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... «:. PRESENCE, AND HONORED IT THE :«. ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... :«. ONLY WAY WE KNEW HOW: BY :.« .....«:%$£
$%:«...... ..« BREAKING IN. .«. ......«:%$
£$%:«..... ......::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...... .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. ......::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...... ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... .«: THIS PLACE WE CALLED OUR CITY: .:« ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... .:« WAVY AND FRACTURED, WITH EACH :.« ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... :.« COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, :«. .....«:%$£
$%:«...... :«. ROADS BECOMING ROOFS BECOMING «:. ......«:%$
£$%:«..... «:. DRAINS. AND SOME PLACES, LIKE «.: .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... «.: THE SPIRE, NOBODY HAD ACCESSED .«: ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... .«: FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE ITS WALLS .:« ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. .:« ARE JUST TOO HIGH, AND THE :.« ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... :.« INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, :«. ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... :«. A PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS EASILY «:. ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... «:. OVERLOOKED. .«: .....«:%$£
$%:«...... .«:««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««.:« ......«:%$
£$%:«..... .:« SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE :.« .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... :.« FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND «.: ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... :«. CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR «:. ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. «:. A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND «.: ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... «.: PLAY MUSIC ON OUR HANDHELDS. .«: ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... .«: INSTEAD WE FOUND VAST LUNGS .:« ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... .:« DRAINED OF THEIR CATALYST :.« .....«:%$£
$%:«...... :.« SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO :«. ......«:%$
£$%:«..... :«. MAKE SENSE OF OUR ROAMINGS FOR «:. .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... «:. YEARS TO COME. «.: ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... «.:««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««.«: ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. .«: A CENTRAL SPINE, A STAIRCASE .:« ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... .:« AROUND IT, THE SEVEN TOROIDAL :.« ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... :.« LUNGS STACKED OUTSIDE, AND THE :«. ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... :«. CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS «:. .....«:%$£
$%:«...... «:. FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES «.: ......«:%$
£$%:«..... «.: FOR RADIATING CONSCIOUSNESS .«: .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... .«: INVITATIONS. .:. ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... ......::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...... ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... ......::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...... ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... ..: IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS :«. ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... «:. TOPPLED AND EATEN BY MACHINES. :.« .....«:%$£
$%:«...... :«. AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS .:« ......«:%$
£$%:«..... :.« CONJURED IN ITS PLACE. IT'S A .«: .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... .:« TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN «.: ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... .«: US, AND WE LET IT BE. OUR «:. ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. «.: JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS FEET. :«. ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... «:.««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:.« ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... :«. BUT THEN WE ARE BETRAYED. THE .:« ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... :.« NEW TOWER EATS US. OTHERS ARE .«: .....«:%$£
$%:«...... .:« SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE «.: ......«:%$
£$%:«..... .«: MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT, ONLY TO «:. .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... «.: DISAPPEAR IN THE EVENING FOG. :«. ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... «:. FOR A WHILE ITS SOME KIND OF :.« ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. :«. TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED .:« ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... :.« OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A .«: ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... .:« FEW TIMES, AND STOP GOING. «.: ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... .«:«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:. .....«:%$£
$%:«...... «.: IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY :«. ......«:%$
£$%:«..... «:. SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES :.« .....«:%$£
££$%:«.... :«. IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT .:« ....«:%$££
#££$%:«... ..« CARS..... .«. ...«:%$££#
##££$%:«.. ......::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...... ..«:%$££##
#££$%:«... ...«:%$££#
££$%:«.... ....«:%$££
£$%:«..... .....«:%$£
$%:«...... ......«:%$
£$%:«..... .....«:%$£