,^«:§@@###                                          ###@@§:«^,
,^«:§§@@@#                                          #@@@§§:«^,
,^«:§§@@##                                          ##@@§§:«^,
,^«:§§@@##                                          ##@@§§:«^,
,^«:§§@###                                          ###@§§:«^,
,^«:§§@@## ,,,^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^,,, ##@@§§:«^,
,^«:§§@@## ,^:            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.....             ^«, ##@@§§:«^,
,^«:§§@@## ,,,^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^,,, ##@@§§:«^,
,^«:§§@@##                                          ##@@§§:«^,
,^«:§§@@##                                          ##@@§§:«^,
,^«:§§§§§@                                          @§§§§§:«^,
,^«:§§@@##                                          ##@@§§:«^,
,^«:§§§§§@                                          @§§§§§:«^,