¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¤¤ ¤¤¨¨¤¨¨¨¤¤
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¤¨¤ ¨¤¨¤¤¨¨¤¨¤
¨¨¨¨¨¨¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¨¤¨¤¤¤¤
¨¨¨¨¨¤¨¨¨¤ ¨¨¤¤¤¤¨¨¨¤
¨¨¨¨¤¤¨¨¤¨ ¨¤¨¨¨¤¨¨¤¤
¨¨¨¤¨¤¨¤¤¤ ¨¨¨,,,††††††††††††††††††††††††††††,,,¨¨¨ ¤¤¨¨¤¤¨¤¨¤
¨¨¤¤¤¤¤¨¨¤ ¨,† 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..... ,~¨ ¤¤¨¤¤¤¨¤¨¨
¨¤¤¤¨¨¨¤¨¤ ¨¨¨,,,††††††††††††††††††††††††††††,,,¨¨¨ ¨¤¤¨¨¤¤¤¨¤
¤¨¨¤¨¨¤¤¤¤ ¤¨¤¨¤¨¨¤¤¤
¤¨¤¤¨¤¨¨¨¨ ¤¤¤¤¤¨¤¨¨¨
¤¤¨¤¤¤¨¨¨¤ ¨¨¨¨¤¤¤¨¨¤
¨¤¤¨¨¤¨¨¤¤ ¨¨¨¤¨¨¤¨¤¨
¤¨¤¨¤¤¨¤¨¨ ¨¨¤¤¨¤¤¤¤¨