«......... .........«
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ......============================...... ..........
.......... ..= 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..... .«. .......«=^
=«........ ......============================...... ........«=
«......... .........«
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........