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