,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,^^^****************************^^^,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,^* 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..... ^=, §%%*=^,,,,
,,,^=*%%§# ,,,^^^****************************^^^,,, #§%%*=^,,,
,,^=*%%§#@ @#§%%*=^,,
,^=*%%§#@# #@#§%%*=^,
,,^=*%%§#@ @#§%%*=^,,
,,,^=*%%§# #§%%*=^,,,
,,,,^=*%%§ §%%*=^,,,,