,~=*^§¤¤##                                          ##¤¤§^*=~,
,~=*^§¤###                                          ###¤§^*=~,
,~=*^§¤###                                          ###¤§^*=~,
,~=*^§¤###                                          ###¤§^*=~,
,~=*^§¤###                                          ###¤§^*=~,
,~=*^§¤¤¤¤ ,,,~~~****************************~~~,,, ¤¤¤¤§^*=~,
,~=*^§¤### ,~*            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.....             ~=, #¤^**~~,,,
,~=*^§¤### ,,,~~~****************************~~~,,, ###¤§^*=~,
,~=*^§¤###                                          ###¤§^*=~,
,,,,,~*§¤#                                          #¤§*~,,,,,
,,,,==*^¤¤                                          ¤¤^*==,,,,
,,~==**§##                                          ##§**==~,,
,~=*^§¤###                                          ###¤§^*=~,