#@§-,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,-§@#
@§^-,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,-^§@
####%§^-,,                                          ,,-^§%####
##%§^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^§%##
###@%§^-,,                                          ,,-^§%@###
###@%§^-,, ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, ,,-^§%@###
#@%^,,,,,, ,,^            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.....            ,-, ,,,,,-§%##
###@%§^-,, ,,,,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,,,, ,,-^§%@###
###@%§^-,,                                          ,,-^§%@###
#@%%%§^-,,                                          ,,-^§%%%@#
###@%§^-,,                                          ,,-^§%@###
###@%§^-,,                                          ,,-^§%@###
###@%§^-,,                                          ,,-^§%@###