##@#&§\-:. .:-\§@##
@@&&§-:... ...:-§&&@@
@@&§§\-:.. ..:-\§§&@@
@#§§-:.... ....:-§§#@
###&\\-... ...-\\##
##&\-:.... ...:::\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\:::... ....:-\#
####&§\-:. .:\ 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..... :-. ...:::-\§#
##§§-..... ...:::\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\:::... .....-§§##
#&\--..... .....--\
##@#&§\-:. .:-\§@##
##@#&§\-:. .:-\§@##
##@#&§\-:. .:-\§@##
@@&§---:.. ..:---§&@@