,,,,,,«$@#                                          #@$«,,,,,,
,,,,~^@@@@                                          @@@@^~,,,,
,,,,~~^@@@                                          @@@^~~,,,,
,~«^$@#@##                                          ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@##                                          ##@#@$^«~,
,,,,~«$$## ,,,~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^~~~,,, ##$$«~,,,,
,~«^$@#@## ,~^            THE  SPIRE            «^, ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## «^~««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^«~ ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#### ^«~ ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    ^~« ####@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## ^~« BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL  ~^« ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## ~^« ABOVE OUR TALLEST  TREES. IT WAS ~«^ ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## ~«^ CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «~^ ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## «~^       LIKED   A  MUSHROOM.       «^~ ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## «^~      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      ^«~ ##@#@$^«~,
,,,~~^$$#@ ^«~««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^~« @#$$^~~,,,
,,,,,~^@#@ ^~«  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  ~^« @@@@^~~,,,
,~«^$@#@## ^~« NEW TOWER  EATS US. OTHERS  ARE  ~«^ ##@#@$^«~,
,~«««^$##@ ~^« SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE «~^ @##$^«««~,
,~«^$@#@## ~«^  MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT, ONLY  TO  «^~ ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## «~^  DISAPPEAR IN  THE  EVENING FOG. ^«~ ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## «^~ FOR  A  WHILE ITS  SOME  KIND OF ^~« ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#### ^«~ TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED ~^« ####@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## ^~« OUTSIDE, AND WE GET  BEATEN UP A ~«^ ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## ~^«  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  «~^ ##@#@$^«~,
,,,«««$@## ~«^«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^~ ##@$«««,,,
,~«^$@#@## «~^ IIRC IT'S  CURRENTLY  OWNED  BY  ^«~ ##@#@$^«~,
,,,,~~^$## «^~ SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES ^~« ##$^~~,,,,
,~«^$@#@## ^«~ IT TO HOLD ALL  HIS FOURTY EIGHT ~^« ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## ,~«             CARS.....            ~«, ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@## ,,,~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^~~~,,, ##@#@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@##                                          ##@#@$^«~,
,,,,,,,«$#                                          #$«,,,,,,,
,~«^$@####                                          ####@$^«~,
,~«^$@#@@#                                          #@@#@$^«~,
,,~~«««^$#                                          #$^«««~~,,