,§§,,,§,§§ ,§,§§,,,§,
,§§§,,,,§§ ,,,§§§,,,§
,§,§§,,,§§ §,,§,§§,,,
,,,§§§,,§§ §§,,,§§§,,
,,,§,§§,§, §§§,,§,§§,
,,,,,§§,,, ,,,^^^////////////////////////////^^^,,, §,§§,,,§§§
§,,,,§§§,, ,^/ 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..... ^~, ,§,,,,,,§§
§§,,,§§§,, ,,,^^^////////////////////////////^^^,,, ,,§,,,,,§,
§§§,,§,§§, ,,,§,,,,,,
§,§§,,,§§§ ,,,,§,,,,,
,,§§§,,§,§ §,,,,§,,,,
,,§,§§,,,§ §§,,,,§,,,
,,,,§§§,,§ ,§§,,,,§,,