,,«/$$$$§#                                          #§$$$$/«,,
,,«/$$§#@#                                          #@#§$$/«,,
,,,,,,,/$§                                          §$/,,,,,,,
,,«/$§#@##                                          ##@#§$/«,,
,,,,,«$$$#                                          #$$$«,,,,,
,,,,,,,«$§ ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, §$«,,,,,,,
,,«/$$§#@# ,,/            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.....             ,«, ##@#$$/«,,
,,«/$$§#@# ,,,,,,////////////////////////////,,,,,, #@#§$$/«,,
,,,,,«$$$§                                          §$$$«,,,,,
,,,,//$§§§                                          §§§$//,,,,
,,«/$$§#@@                                          @@#§$$/«,,
,,«/$$§#@#                                          #@#§$$/«,,
,,«/$$§#@#                                          #@#§$$/«,,