@%%\.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.\%%@
§§§\\-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-\\§§§
§§§§-.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.-§§§§
@@§§%§\-.¨ ¨.-\§%§§@@
@%\.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.\%@
@@%\-...¨¨ ¨¨¨...\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\...¨¨¨ ¨¨...-\%@@
##@§%§\-.¨ ¨.\ 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..... .-¨ ¨.-\§%§@##
@@@§%§\-.¨ ¨¨¨...\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\...¨¨¨ ¨.-\§%§@@@
@§§%§§\-.¨ ¨.-\§§%§§@
##@§%§\-.¨ ¨.-\§%§@##
###@§§\-.¨ ¨.-\§§@###
@@%\.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.\%@@
##@§%§\-.¨ ¨.-\§%§@##