§,§§§,,,,, §§§,,§,,,,
§§,,§,,,,§ ,,§,§§,,,§
,§,§§,,,§, ,§§§,§,,§,
§§§,§,,§§§ §,,§§§,§§,
,,§§§,§,,, §,§,,§§,§§
,§,,§§§,,, ,,,^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^,,, §§§,§,§§,§
§§,§,,§,,, ,^: 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..... ^-, ,§,,§§§§§§
§,,§,§§§,§ ,,,^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^,,, §§,§,,,,,§
§,§§§,,§§§ ,§§§,,,,§,
§§,,§,§,,, §,,§,,,§§§
,§,§§§§,,§ §,§§,,§,,,
§§§,,,§,§, §§,§,§§,,,
,,§,,§§§§§ ,§§§§,§,,§