,-=\\\\%§# #§%\\\\=-,
,-=\%$§@## ##@§$%\=-,
,-=\%$§@## ##@§$%\=-,
,---\%%§§@ @§§%%\---,
,,---\\$@@ @@$\\---,,
,,,--\\$§@ ,,,---\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\---,,, @§$\\--,,,
,-=\%$§@## ,-\ 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 -\= @§$\\\\=-,
,,,,,-=%§@ ,-= CARS..... -=, @§%=-,,,,,
,-=\%$§@## ,,,---\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\---,,, ##@§$%\=-,
,-=\%$§@## ##@§$%\=-,
,,,,,-=\$@ @$\=-,,,,,
,-=\%$§### ###§$%\=-,
,-=\%$§@## ##@§$%\=-,
,-=\%$§@## ##@§$%\=-,