.,««::::¤¶                                          ¶¤::::««,.
.,«:*¤¤¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶¤¤*:«,.
...«:::*¤¤                                          ¤¤*:::«...
......«*¤#                                          #¤*«......
.,«:*¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤*:«,.
.,«:*¤¤¤¤¤ ...,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,... ¤¤¤¤¤*:«,.
.,«:*¤¤¶## .,:            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.....             ,«. ###¤¤*:«,.
.,«:*¤¶### ...,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,... ###¶¤*:«,.
...,,«**¤¶                                          ¶¤**«,,...
.,«:*¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤*:«,.
.,«:*¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤*:«,.
..,,«::*¤¤                                          ¤¤*::«,,..
....«:**¤¶                                          ¶¤**:«....