¨,«:%$@#@#                                          #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@                                          @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@#                                          #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@                                          @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@#                                          #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ¨,:            THE  SPIRE            «:¨ #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «:,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:«, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :«, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    :,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :,« BENEVOLENT SPIRE,  TOWERING WELL ,:« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ,:« ABOVE  OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ,«: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,«: CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «,: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «,:       LIKED  A   MUSHROOM.       «:, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «:,      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      :«, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :«,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :,« IT PREDATED  US  BY  MANY YEARS, ,:« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ,:« AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ,«: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,«:  BUILDERS.  THEY  HAD  USED ITS  «,: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «,:  HOLLOW  BODY  FOR  MANY STRANGE «:, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «:,  PURPOSES  - A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF :«, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :«, GESTATION, A  STORAGE  OF STRAGE :,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :,« FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF ,:« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ,:«    ARCANE   DEITY.               ,«: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,«:«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««,: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «,:   WE  WERE  GRATEFUL  FOR   ITS  «:, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «:, PRESENCE,  AND  HONORED  IT THE  :«, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :«,  ONLY  WAY   WE  KNEW  HOW:  BY  :,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ¨,«        BREAKING        IN.       ,«¨ @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@                                          @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@#                                          #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ¨«: THIS PLACE WE  CALLED OUR CITY:  ,:« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,:« WAVY AND  FRACTURED,  WITH EACH  :,« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :,« COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, :«, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :«,  ROADS BECOMING  ROOFS  BECOMING «:, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «:,  DRAINS. AND  SOME  PLACES, LIKE «,: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «,:  THE SPIRE, NOBODY HAD ACCESSED  ,«: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ,«: FOR MANY  YEARS. ONCE  ITS WALLS ,:« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,:«  ARE  JUST  TOO  HIGH, AND  THE  :,« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :,« INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, :«, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :«, A  PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS EASILY  «:, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «:,            OVERLOOKED.           ,«: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,«:««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««,:« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ,:« SO, BASICALLY,  THAT SUMMER THE  :,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :,« FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND «,: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :«, CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR «:, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «:, A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND «,: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «,: PLAY MUSIC  ON  OUR  HANDHELDS.  ,«: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,«:  INSTEAD  WE  FOUND  VAST LUNGS  ,:« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ,:«  DRAINED   OF  THEIR  CATALYST   :,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :,«  SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO :«, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :«,  MAKE SENSE OF  OUR ROAMINGS FOR «:, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «:,        YEARS  TO   COME.         «,: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «,:««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««,«: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,«:  A CENTRAL  SPINE, A  STAIRCASE  ,:« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ,:«  AROUND IT,  THE SEVEN TOROIDAL  :,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :,« LUNGS  STACKED OUTSIDE,  AND THE :«, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :«, CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS «:, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «:, FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES «,: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «,:  FOR   RADIATING  CONSCIOUSNESS  ,«: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ¨«:           INVITATIONS.           ,:¨ @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@                                          @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ¨,: IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS :«, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «:, TOPPLED AND EATEN BY  MACHINES.  :,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :«,  AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS ,:« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :,« CONJURED IN  ITS PLACE. IT'S  A  ,«: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,:« TINY MAW AT  FIRST, SHORTER THAN «,: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ,«:  US,  AND  WE  LET  IT BE.  OUR  «:, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «,: JOURNEYS  STILL END AT ITS FEET. :«, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «:,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :«, BUT THEN WE  ARE  BETRAYED. THE  ,:« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :,« NEW TOWER  EATS  US.  OTHERS ARE ,«: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,:« SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE «,: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ,«: MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT,  ONLY  TO  «:, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «,:  DISAPPEAR IN THE  EVENING FOG.  :«, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «:, FOR  A  WHILE ITS  SOME  KIND OF :,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :«, TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED ,:« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# :,« OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A  ,«: #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ,:«  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  «,: @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ,«:«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:, #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ «,: IIRC  IT'S  CURRENTLY  OWNED BY  :«, @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# «:, SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES :,« #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ :«, IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT  ,:« @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@# ¨,«            CARS.....             ,«¨ #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@ ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@#                                          #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@                                          @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@#                                          #@#@$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$@#@                                          @#@$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$@#@#                                          #@#@$%:«,¨