,-«^†$§¶##                                          ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶#                                          #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶##                                          ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶#                                          #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶##                                          ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ,,,---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---,,, #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ,-^            THE  SPIRE            «^, ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «^-««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^«- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^«- ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    ^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^-«  BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL -^« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## -^« ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES.  IT WAS -«^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -«^ CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «-^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «-^      LIKED   A  MUSHROOM.        «^- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «^-      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      ^«- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^«-««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^-« IT  PREDATED  US BY  MANY YEARS, -^« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## -^« AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL -«^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -«^  BUILDERS. THEY  HAD  USED  ITS  «-^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «-^  HOLLOW  BODY  FOR  MANY STRANGE «^- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «^- PURPOSES  - A  WOMBLIKE PLACE OF ^«- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^«- GESTATION,  A STORAGE OF  STRAGE ^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^-« FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF -^« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## -^«    ARCANE    DEITY.              -«^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -«^«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««-^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «-^  WE  WERE   GRATEFUL   FOR  ITS  «^- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «^- PRESENCE, AND  HONORED  IT  THE  ^«- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^«-  ONLY  WAY  WE  KNEW  HOW:  BY   ^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ,-«        BREAKING        IN.       -«, #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ,,,---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---,,, ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶#                                          #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶##                                          ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ,,,---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---,,, #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ,«^ THIS PLACE WE CALLED  OUR CITY:  -^« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -^« WAVY  AND FRACTURED, WITH  EACH  ^-« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^-« COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, ^«- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^«-  ROADS  BECOMING ROOFS  BECOMING «^- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «^-  DRAINS.  AND SOME  PLACES, LIKE «-^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «-^  THE SPIRE, NOBODY  HAD ACCESSED -«^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## -«^ FOR  MANY  YEARS. ONCE ITS WALLS -^« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -^«  ARE  JUST TOO  HIGH,  AND  THE  ^-« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^-« INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, ^«- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^«- A  PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS  EASILY «^- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «^-            OVERLOOKED.           -«^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -«^««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««-^« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## -^« SO,  BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE  ^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^-« FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND «-^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^«- CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR «^- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «^- A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND «-^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «-^ PLAY MUSIC ON  OUR HANDHELDS.    -«^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -«^  INSTEAD  WE  FOUND  VAST LUNGS  -^« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## -^«  DRAINED  OF   THEIR  CATALYST   ^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^-« SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE  VIEW TO ^«- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^«- MAKE SENSE  OF OUR ROAMINGS FOR  «^- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «^-       YEARS   TO   COME.         «-^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «-^««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««-«^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -«^ A  CENTRAL SPINE,  A  STAIRCASE  -^« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## -^«  AROUND IT, THE  SEVEN  TOROIDAL ^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^-« LUNGS  STACKED OUTSIDE, AND THE  ^«- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^«- CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS «^- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «^- FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES «-^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «-^   FOR  RADIATING  CONSCIOUSNESS  -«^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ,«^           INVITATIONS.           -^, #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ,,,---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---,,, ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶#                                          #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ,,,---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---,,, ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ,-^ IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS ^«- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «^-  TOPPLED AND  EATEN BY MACHINES. ^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^«- AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS  -^« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^-« CONJURED  IN ITS  PLACE. IT'S  A -«^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -^« TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER  THAN «-^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## -«^  US, AND  WE  LET  IT  BE.  OUR  «^- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «-^ JOURNEYS STILL  END AT ITS FEET. ^«- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «^-««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^«-  BUT THEN  WE ARE BETRAYED. THE  -^« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^-«  NEW TOWER EATS  US. OTHERS  ARE -«^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -^« SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE «-^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## -«^  MANIFESTED  OVERNIGHT, ONLY TO  «^- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «-^  DISAPPEAR IN THE  EVENING  FOG. ^«- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «^-  FOR  A WHILE ITS  SOME KIND  OF ^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^«- TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED -^« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ^-« OUTSIDE,  AND WE GET BEATEN UP A -«^ ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# -^«  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  «-^ #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## -«^«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^- ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# «-^  IIRC  IT'S CURRENTLY  OWNED BY  ^«- #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## «^- SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES ^-« ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ^«- IT TO HOLD  ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT -^« #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶## ,-«            CARS.....             -«, ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶# ,,,---^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^---,,, #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶##                                          ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶#                                          #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶##                                          ##¶§$†^«-,
,,-«^†$§¶#                                          #¶§$†^«-,,
,-«^†$§¶##                                          ##¶§$†^«-,