¨&¨¨¨&&¨¨& &¨&¨¨¨¨&&¨
&&¨¨&¨&¨&& &¨&¨¨¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&&¨&¨¨& &¨&¨¨&&¨&¨
&&¨¨&¨&¨&& &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&&¨&¨¨& &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&&¨¨&¨&¨&& ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&&¨&¨¨& ¨,: 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..... ,~¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&&¨¨&¨&¨&& ¨¨¨,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,¨¨¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&&¨&¨¨& &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&&¨¨&¨&¨&& &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&&¨&¨¨& &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&&¨¨&¨&¨&& &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&&¨&¨¨& &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨