,,,,,,,§§, ,§,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,§,§, §§,,,,,,,,
,,,,,§§§§§ ,§,,,,,,,,
,,,,§,,,,, §§,,,,,,,,
,,,§§,,,,§ ,§,,,,,,,,
,,§,§,,,§, ,,,:::============================:::,,, §§,,,,,,,,
,§§§§,,§§, ,:= 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..... :», §,§§,,,,§,
,§,,,,§,§, ,,,:::============================:::,,, §§,§,,,§§§
§§,,,§§§§§ ,§§§,,§,,§
,§,,§,,,,, §,,§,§§,§,
§§,§§,,,,, §,§§§,§§§,
,§§,§,,,,§ §§,,§§,,§§
§,§§§,,,§, ,§,§,§,§,§