..,=\%@# ##&@%\=,..
.,=\%@## ###&@%\=,.
..,=\%@# ##&@%\=,..
...,=\%@ #&@%\=,...
....,=\%@& &@%\=,....
.....,=\%@ ...,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,... @%\=,.....
......,=\% .,\ 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..... ,=. %\=,......
.......,=\ ...,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,... \=,.......
........,= =,........
........., ,.........
........,= =,........
.......,=\ \=,.......
......,=\% %\=,......