,,,,,,£,,,                                          £,,,,,££££
,££££,,,£,                                          ,,£££,,££,
,,££,,£,,,                                          £,,£,,,,,,
£,,,,,,,££                                          ,,,,,£££££
,,£££££,,£                                          ££££,,££££
,,,£££,,,, ,,,~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~,,, ,££,,,,££,
££,,£,,££, ,~:            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.....            ~«, ££££££££££
££££££££££ ,,,~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~,,, ££££££££££
££££££££££                                          ££££££££££
££££££££££                                          ££££££££££
££££££££££                                          ££££££££££
££££££££££                                          ££££££££££
££££££££££                                          ££££££££££