,,,,=\†$#¶                                          ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$#                                          #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶                                          ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶#                                          #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,,,,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,,,, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ ,,\            THE  SPIRE            =\, ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# =\,==================================\=, #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ \=, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    \,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# \,= BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL  ,\= #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## ,\= ABOVE  OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ,=\ ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,=\ CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED =,\ #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =,\        LIKED  A  MUSHROOM.       =\, ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# =\,      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      \=, #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ \=,==================================\,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# \,=  IT PREDATED US  BY MANY  YEARS, ,\= #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## ,\= AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ,=\ ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,=\  BUILDERS.  THEY  HAD  USED  ITS =,\ #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =,\ HOLLOW BODY  FOR  MANY  STRANGE  =\, ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# =\, PURPOSES -  A WOMBLIKE PLACE  OF \=, #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ \=, GESTATION, A STORAGE  OF STRAGE  \,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# \,= FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF ,\= #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## ,\=    ARCANE   DEITY.               ,=\ ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,=\===================================,\ #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =,\  WE  WERE   GRATEFUL   FOR  ITS  =\, ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# =\, PRESENCE,  AND  HONORED  IT THE  \=, #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ \=,  ONLY  WAY  WE  KNEW   HOW:  BY  \,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,,=        BREAKING        IN.       ,=, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## ,,,,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,,,, ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶#                                          #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶                                          ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# ,,,,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,,,, #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ ,=\  THIS PLACE WE  CALLED OUR CITY: ,\= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,\= WAVY AND  FRACTURED, WITH  EACH  \,= #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## \,= COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, \=, ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# \=,  ROADS BECOMING ROOFS  BECOMING  =\, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =\, DRAINS.  AND  SOME PLACES, LIKE  =,\ ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# =,\  THE SPIRE,  NOBODY HAD ACCESSED ,=\ #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ ,=\ FOR MANY YEARS.  ONCE ITS WALLS  ,\= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,\=  ARE  JUST  TOO  HIGH,  AND  THE \,= #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## \,= INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, \=, ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# \=,  A PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS  EASILY =\, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =\,           OVERLOOKED.            ,=\ ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# ,=\==================================,\= #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ ,\=  SO,  BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE \,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# \,= FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND =,\ #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## \=, CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR =\, ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# =\, A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND =,\ #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =,\  PLAY  MUSIC ON OUR  HANDHELDS.  ,=\ ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# ,=\  INSTEAD  WE  FOUND VAST  LUNGS  ,\= #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ ,\=  DRAINED  OF   THEIR  CATALYST   \,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# \,= SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE  VIEW TO \=, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## \=, MAKE SENSE OF  OUR  ROAMINGS FOR =\, ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# =\,        YEARS   TO   COME.        =,\ #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =,\==================================,=\ ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# ,=\  A CENTRAL  SPINE, A  STAIRCASE  ,\= #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ ,\= AROUND  IT, THE  SEVEN  TOROIDAL \,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# \,= LUNGS STACKED OUTSIDE, AND  THE  \=, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## \=, CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS =\, ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# =\, FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES =,\ #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =,\   FOR  RADIATING  CONSCIOUSNESS  ,=\ ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# ,=\           INVITATIONS.           ,\, #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ ,,,,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,,,, ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶#                                          #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## ,,,,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,,,, ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,,\ IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS \=, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =\, TOPPLED AND EATEN  BY  MACHINES. \,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# \=, AFTER A  WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS ,\= #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ \,=  CONJURED  IN ITS PLACE.  IT'S A ,=\ ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,\= TINY  MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN =,\ #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## ,=\  US,  AND  WE  LET IT  BE.  OUR  =\, ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# =,\ JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS FEET.  \=, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =\,==================================\,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# \=,  BUT  THEN WE ARE BETRAYED. THE  ,\= #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ \,= NEW  TOWER EATS  US. OTHERS  ARE ,=\ ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,\= SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE =,\ #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## ,=\  MANIFESTED  OVERNIGHT,  ONLY TO =\, ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# =,\ DISAPPEAR  IN  THE EVENING  FOG. \=, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =\, FOR  A  WHILE  ITS SOME KIND  OF \,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# \=, TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED ,\= #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ \,=  OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A ,=\ ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,\=  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  =,\ #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶## ,=\===================================\, ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶# =,\  IIRC IT'S  CURRENTLY  OWNED  BY \=, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ =\, SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES \,= ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$# \=, IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT  ,\= #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶ ,,=            CARS.....             ,=, ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,=\†$#¶# ,,,,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,,,, #¶#$†\=,,,
,,=\†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†\=,,
,,,=\†$#¶#                                          #¶#$†\=,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶                                          ¶#$†\=,,,,
,,,,,=\†$#                                          #$†\=,,,,,
,,,,=\†$#¶                                          ¶#$†\=,,,,