###@#&^*-. .-*^@###
##@#&^*-,. .,-*^@##
##&^*,.... ....,*^#
@@&*,..... .....,*&@@
@&^--..... .....--^&@
##@#&^*-,. ...,,,****************************,,,... .,-*^@##
#&*-...... .,* 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..... ,-. ....-*@@
@##^^---,. ...,,,****************************,,,... .,---^^##@
###&^**-,. .,-**^##
@@#&&^*-,. .,-*^&@@
@#&^^--,.. ..,--^^@
@&^*--,... ...,--*^&@
#^^*,..... .....,*^^#