,,«^^£§§§#                                          #§§§£^^«,,
,,«^^£§¶##                                          ##¶§£^^«,,
,,«^^^£§¶¶                                          ¶¶§£^^^«,,
,,«^^£§¶##                                          ##¶§£^^«,,
,,«^^£§¶##                                          ##¶§£^^«,,
,,,,,^^££§ ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, §££^^,,,,,
,,«^^£§¶## ,,^            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.....            ,«, ##¶§£^^«,,
,,«^^£§¶## ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, ##¶§£^^«,,
,,«^^£§¶##                                          ##¶§£^^«,,
,,«^^£§¶##                                          ##¶§£^^«,,
,,,,«^^^§§                                          §§^^^«,,,,
,,««^^^£¶¶                                          ¶¶£^^^««,,
,,,,,,^£§¶                                          ¶§£^,,,,,,