.....,=\†$                                          $†\=,.....
......,=\†                                          †\=,......
.......,=\                                          \=,.......
......,=\†                                          †\=,......
.....,=\†$                                          $†\=,.....
....,=\†$¤ ...,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,... ¤$†\=,....
...,=\†$¤¶ .,\            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 \,= $†\=,.....
......,=\† \=, IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT  ,\= †\=,......
.......,=\ .,=             CARS.....            ,=. \=,.......
......,=\† ...,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,... †\=,......
.....,=\†$                                          $†\=,.....
....,=\†$¤                                          ¤$†\=,....
...,=\†$¤¶                                          ¶¤$†\=,...
..,=\†$¤¶#                                          #¶¤$†\=,..
.,=\†$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$†\=,.