,,,«;;§@£¶                                          ¶£@§;;«,,,
,,«;§@£¶@#                                          #@¶£@§;«,,
,,«;§@£¶¶@                                          @¶¶£@§;«,,
,,,«;§@££¶                                          ¶££@§;«,,,
,,,«««§££@                                          @££§«««,,,
,,«;§@£¶@# ,,,,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,,,, #@¶£@§;«,,
,,«;§@£¶@# ,,;            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.....            ,«, ##¶£@§;«,,
,,«;§@£¶@# ,,,,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,,,, #@¶£@§;«,,
,,,,,,«§@¶                                          ¶@§«,,,,,,
,,«;§@£¶@#                                          #@¶£@§;«,,
,,«;§@£¶@#                                          #@¶£@§;«,,
,,«;§@£¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶£@§;«,,
,,«;§@£¶##                                          ##¶£@§;«,,