¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§§§§¨§¨
¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨§§§
§¨§¨§¨¨¨¨§                                          §§¨§§¨¨§¨¨
§§§§§§¨¨¨§                                          §¨§§¨§¨§§¨
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨§§§§¨§
¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨§ ¨¨¨::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::¨¨¨ ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§§¨¨¨§¨§§ ¨::            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.....            :«¨ ¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨§
¨¨¨¨§§¨§¨§ ¨¨¨::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::¨¨¨ ¨¨¨§§¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨§¨§§§§                                          §¨¨§¨§§§§¨
§§¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §§¨§§§¨¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨§
§¨§§§§¨§§¨                                          §§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§§¨§                                          §¨¨§§§§¨§§