###$=^«,..                                          ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,.                                          .,«^=$####
###$=^«,..                                          ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,...                                          ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,..                                          ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. .,^            the  spire            «^. ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... «^,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^«, ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ^«, once upon a time, there was a    ^,« ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ^,«  benevolent spire, towering well ,^« .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ,^« above our  tallest trees. it was ,«^ ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ,«^ clad in white scales, and shaped «,^ ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. «,^      liked  a   mushroom.        «^, ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. «^,      we  loved  it  dearly.      ^«, .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ^«,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^,« ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ^,« it predated  us by many  years,  ,^« ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ,^« and we did not know its original ,«^ ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ,«^  builders.  they  had used  its  «,^ .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. «,^ hollow  body  for  many  strange «^, ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... «^, purposes  - a  womblike place of ^«, ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ^«,  gestation,  a storage of strage ^,« ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ^,« fluids, a temple to some kind of ,^« .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ,^«    arcane   deity.               ,«^ ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ,«^«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««,^ ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. «,^  we   were   grateful  for  its  «^, ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. «^, presence, and  honored  it  the  ^«, .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ^«,  only  way  we   knew  how:  by  ^,« ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... .,«        breaking        in.       ,«. ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,.                                          .,«^=$####
###$=^«,..                                          ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. .«^ this  place we called our city:  ,^« ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ,^«  wavy and fractured, with  each  ^,« .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ^,« courtyard on a different height, ^«, ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ^«, roads  becoming  roofs becoming  «^, ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. «^, drains.  and  some places, like  «,^ ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. «,^ the spire, nobody had  accessed  ,«^ .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ,«^ for many  years. once its  walls ,^« ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ,^«  are  just  too  high, and  the  ^,« ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ^,« internal routes to labyrinthine, ^«, ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ^«, a place  among others  is easily «^, .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. «^,            overlooked.           ,«^ ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ,«^««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««,^« ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ,^« so,  basically, that summer  the ^,« ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ^,« four of us snuck and climbed and «,^ .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ^«, crawled for weeks, searching for «^, ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... «^, a secluded place to do drugs and «,^ ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. «,^ play music  on our  handhelds.   ,«^ ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ,«^  instead  we  found vast  lungs  ,^« .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ,^«  drained  of  their   catalyst   ^,« ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ^,«  sludge, and a birds-eye view to ^«, ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ^«,  make sense  of our roamings for «^, ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. «^,         years   to   come.       «,^ .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. «,^««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««,«^ ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ,«^  a  central spine,  a staircase  ,^« ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ,^«  around it, the seven  toroidal  ^,« ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ^,« lungs stacked outside,  and the  ^«, .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ^«, control room on top. the sockets «^, ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... «^, for its eyes. the smaller spires «,^ ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. «,^   for  radiating  consciousness  ,«^ ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. .«^           invitations.           ,^. .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,...                                          ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. .,^ in twenty fourteen, the tower is ^«, .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. «^, toppled and eaten by  machines.  ^,« ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ^«, after a while, something new  is ,^« ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ^,« conjured  in its place.  it's a  ,«^ ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ,^« tiny maw at first, shorter than  «,^ .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ,«^  us,  and  we let  it  be.  our  «^, ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... «,^ journeys still end at its feet.  ^«, ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. «^,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^,« ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ^«,  but  then we are betrayed. the  ,^« .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ^,« new  tower eats us.  others are  ,«^ ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ,^« sucked inside. new buildings are «,^ ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ,«^  manifested overnight,  only  to «^, ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. «,^  disappear in the evening  fog.  ^«, .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. «^, for  a  while its some  kind  of ^,« ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ^«, timeshare scam. goons are placed ,^« ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. ^,« outside, and we get  beaten up a ,«^ ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ,^«  few  times,  and  stop  going.  «,^ .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. ,«^«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^, ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... «,^ iirc  it's  currently  owned  by ^«, ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,.. «^, some energy drink baron who uses ^,« ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,. ^«, it to hold  all his fourty eight ,^« .,«^=$####
###$=^«,.. .,«            cars.....             ,«. ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,... ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,..                                          ..,«^=$###
####$=^«,.                                          .,«^=$####
###$=^«,..                                          ..,«^=$###
##$=^«,...                                          ...,«^=$##
###$=^«,..                                          ..,«^=$###