,,««::$$$@                                          @$$$::««,,
,,«:§$@###                                          ###@$§:«,,
,,«:§@@###                                          ###@@§:«,,
,,,,,,«§§@                                          @§§«,,,,,,
,,,,,,«§@#                                          #@§«,,,,,,
,,«:§$$$@# ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, #@$$$§:«,,
,,,,,««§$@ ,,:            THE  SPIRE            «:, @$§««,,,,,
,,«:§$@@## «:,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««:«, ##@@$§:«,,
,,«:§$@@@# :«, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    :,« #@@@$§:«,,
,,,,««§@@@ :,«  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 :,« @@@§§«,,,,
,,«:§$@@## :«,  IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ,:« ##@@$§:«,,
,,«:§$@### ,,«            CARS.....             ,«, ###@$§:«,,
,,,,,,:$$@ ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, @$$:,,,,,,
,,,,«::$$@                                          @$$::«,,,,
,,,,,:§@@#                                          #@@§:,,,,,
,,«:§$@@##                                          ##@@$§:«,,
,,«:::§§$@                                          @$§§:::«,,
,,,,,,«§@@                                          @@§«,,,,,,