##&*^:«^¨¨                                          ¨¨^«:^*&##
#&*^:«^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^«:^*&#
&*^:«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«:^*&
*^:«^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^«:^*
&*^:«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«:^*&
#&*^:«^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^«:^*&#
##&*^:«^¨¨ ¨^:            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.....            ^«¨ ¨¨^«:^*&##
###&*^:«^¨ ¨¨¨^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^¨¨¨ ¨^«:^*&###
##&*^:«^¨¨                                          ¨¨^«:^*&##
#&*^:«^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^«:^*&#
&*^:«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«:^*&
*^:«^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^«:^*
&*^:«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«:^*&