##£§¤*=«,. .,«=*¤§£##
##£§¤*=«,. .,«=*¤§£##
##£§¤*=«,. .,«=*¤§£##
##£§¤*=«,. .,«=*¤§£##
§§¤=,,.... ....,,=¤§§
£§§***=«,. ...,,,============================,,,... .,«=***§§£
##£§¤*=«,. .,= 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..... ,«. ..,,,,==*§
££§§¤*=«,. ...,,,============================,,,... .,«=*¤§§££
§*=,,,.... ....,,,=*§
££§**=«... ...«=**§££
££§**«.... ....«**§££
##£§¤*=«,. .,«=*¤§£##
###£¤*=«,. .,«=*¤£###