#@¶§$†==^,                                          ,^==†$§¶@#
#@¶§$†==^,                                          ,^==†$§¶@#
@§§§$†==^,                                          ,^==†$§§§@
#@¶§$†==^,                                          ,^==†$§¶@#
¶§§$====^,                                          ,^====$§§¶
¶§§$††==^, ,,,^^^============================^^^,,, ,^==††$§§¶
##@¶$†==^, ,^=            THE  SPIRE            ==, ,^==†$¶@##
¶¶$$†=^,,, ==^====================================^ ,,,^=†$$¶¶
##@¶§$†=^, ==^ ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    =^= ,^=†$§¶@##
§$††=^,,,, =^= BENEVOLENT SPIRE,  TOWERING WELL ^== ,,,,^=††$§
@§$==^,,,, ^== ABOVE OUR  TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ^== ,,,,^==$§@
##@¶$†==^, ^== CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED =^= ,^==†$¶@##
@¶¶§$†==^, =^=       LIKED  A   MUSHROOM.       ==^ ,^==†$§¶¶@
##¶§$†==^, ==^      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      ==^ ,^==†$§¶##
#@¶§$†==^, ==^===================================^= ,^==†$§¶@#
@¶§$$†==^, =^=  IT PREDATED  US  BY MANY YEARS, ^== ,^==†$$§¶@
@§§$$†==^, ^== AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ^== ,^==†$$§§@
@§§§$†==^, ^==  BUILDERS. THEY  HAD  USED  ITS  =^= ,^==†$§§§@
@§§§$†==^, =^=  HOLLOW BODY FOR  MANY  STRANGE  ==^ ,^==†$§§§@
@§$††==,,, ==^  PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE  OF ==^ ,,,==††$§@
##@¶§†==^, ==^  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  ==^ ,^==†††$$¶
¶§†=====^, =^= JOURNEYS STILL END  AT ITS FEET. ==^ ,^=====†§¶
@§$†††==^, ==^===================================^= ,^==†††$§@
§†††====^, ==^ BUT THEN  WE  ARE  BETRAYED. THE ^== ,^====†††§
#@¶§$†==^, =^=  NEW  TOWER  EATS US. OTHERS ARE ^== ,^==†$§¶@#
§†===^^,,, ^== SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE =^= ,,,^^===†§
#@¶§$†==^, ^==  MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT, ONLY  TO  ==^ ,^==†$§¶@#
#@¶§$†==^, =^= DISAPPEAR  IN THE  EVENING  FOG. ==^ ,^==†$§¶@#
¶$==^,,,,, ==^ FOR A WHILE  ITS  SOME KIND  OF  =^= ,,,,,^==$¶
#@¶§$†==^, ==^ TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED ^== ,^==†$§¶@#
#@¶§$†==^, =^= OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP  A ^== ,^==†$§¶@#
#@¶§$†==^, ^==  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  =^= ,^==†$§¶@#
##@§$†==^, ^======================================^ ,^==†$§@##
#@¶§$†==^, =^= IIRC  IT'S  CURRENTLY  OWNED BY  ==^ ,^==†$§¶@#
##¶§$†==^, ==^ SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES =^= ,^==†$§¶##
#@¶§$†==^, ==^ IT  TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ^== ,^==†$§¶@#
¶§†=^,,,,, ,^=             CARS.....            ^=, ,,,,,^=†§¶
#@¶§$†==^, ,,,^^^============================^^^,,, ,^==†$§¶@#
@@¶§$†==^,                                          ,^==†$§¶@@
#@¶§$†==^,                                          ,^==†$§¶@#
@¶$†==,,,,                                          ,,,,==†$¶@
¶§§§$†==^,                                          ,^==†$§§§¶
¶$$$===^,,                                          ,,^===$$$¶