,,,,-:*%#@ @#%*:-,,,,
,,,-:*%#@# #@#%*:-,,,
,,-:*%#@## ##@#%*:-,,
,,,-:*%#@# #@#%*:-,,,
,,,,-:*%#@ @#%*:-,,,,
,,,,,-:*%# ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, #%*:-,,,,,
,,,,,,-:*% ,,: 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..... ,-, ##@#%*:-,,
,,,-:*%#@# ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, #@#%*:-,,,
,,,,-:*%#@ @#%*:-,,,,
,,,,,-:*%# #%*:-,,,,,
,,,,,,-:*% %*:-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-:* *:-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-: :-,,,,,,,,