.,-;*£#### ####£*;-,.
..,-;*£### ###£*;-,..
...,-;*£## ##£*;-,...
....,-;*£# #£*;-,....
.....,-;*£ £*;-,.....
......,-;* ...,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,... *;-,......
.......,-; .,; 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..... ,-. ##£*;-,...
..,-;*£### ...,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,... ###£*;-,..
.,-;*£#### ####£*;-,.
..,-;*£### ###£*;-,..
...,-;*£## ##£*;-,...
....,-;*£# #£*;-,....
.....,-;*£ £*;-,.....