@££^*=.... ....=*^££@
££^*=..... .....=*^££
@££^*=.... ....=*^££@
#@££^*=... ...=*^££@#
##@££^*=.. ..=*^££@##
#@££^*=... ......****************************...... ...=*^££@#
@££^*=.... ..* 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..... .=. ....=*^££@
#@££^*=... ......****************************...... ...=*^££@#
##@££^*=.. ..=*^££@##
#@££^*=... ...=*^££@#
@££^*=.... ....=*^££@
££^*=..... .....=*^££
@££^*=.... ....=*^££@