¨¨¨¨¨,~^*£                                          £*^~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^*                                          *^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^                                          ^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~                                          ~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ¨,^            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.....             ,~¨ ####£*^~,¨
¨¨,~^*£### ¨¨¨,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,¨¨¨ ###£*^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^*£##                                          ##£*^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^*£#                                          #£*^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~^*£                                          £*^~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^*                                          *^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^                                          ^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨