,,,,,,,££,                                          ,,,,,£££,,
££££££,,,,                                          ££££,,£,,£
£££££,,££,                                          £££,,,,,,,
,£££,,,,,,                                          ££,,£££££,
,,£,,£££££                                          £,,,,£££,,
£,,,,,££££ ,,,,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,,,, ,,££,,£,,£
,,£££,,£££ ,,\            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.....             ,=, ,,,,,,,,,,
££££££££££ ,,,,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,,,, ££££££££££
££££££££££                                          ££££££££££
££££££££££                                          ££££££££££
££££££££££                                          ££££££££££
££££££££££                                          ££££££££££
££££££££££                                          ££££££££££