.......,»* *»,.......
......,»*% %*»,......
.....,»*%% %%*»,.....
....,»*%%¤ ¤%%*»,....
...,»*%%¤¶ ¶¤%%*»,...
..,»*%%¤¶# ...,,,****************************,,,... #¶¤%%*»,..
.,»*%%¤¶## .,* 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..... ,». %%*»,.....
....,»*%%¤ ...,,,****************************,,,... ¤%%*»,....
...,»*%%¤¶ ¶¤%%*»,...
..,»*%%¤¶# #¶¤%%*»,..
.,»*%%¤¶## ##¶¤%%*»,.
..,»*%%¤¶# #¶¤%%*»,..
...,»*%%¤¶ ¶¤%%*»,...