,,,»»//%%§ §%%//»»,,,
,,»/*%§¶## ##¶§%*/»,,
,,,,»///%§ §%///»,,,,
,,»/*%§¶## ##¶§%*/»,,
,,,,,»**§§ §§**»,,,,,
,,»/*%§¶## ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, ##¶§%*/»,,
,,»»»/***§ ,,/ 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..... ,», ##¶§%*/»,,
,,»/*%§¶## ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, ##¶§%*/»,,
,,»/*%§¶## ##¶§%*/»,,
,,»/*%§¶## ##¶§%*/»,,
,,»»»***§# #§***»»»,,
,,,,»»»/*§ §*/»»»,,,,
,,»///**§# #§**///»,,