££§;--.... ....--;§££
£§;--..... .....--;§£
§;--...... ......--;§
;--....... .......--;
--........ ........--
-......... ...---;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;---... .........-
--........ .-; 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..... --. ........--
;--....... ...---;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;---... .......--;
§;--...... ......--;§
£§;--..... .....--;§£
££§;--.... ....--;§££
£££§;--... ...--;§£££
@£££§;--.. ..--;§£££@