###*=*«-.. ..-«*=*###
####*=*«-. .-«*=*####
###*=*«-.. ..-«*=*###
##*=*«-... ...-«*=*##
#*=*«-.... ....-«*=*#
*=*«-..... ...---****************************---... .....-«*=*
=*«-...... .-* 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..... -«. ....-«*=*#
##*=*«-... ...---****************************---... ...-«*=*##
###*=*«-.. ..-«*=*###
####*=*«-. .-«*=*####
###*=*«-.. ..-«*=*###
##*=*«-... ...-«*=*##
#*=*«-.... ....-«*=*#