...===%%%§ §%%%===...
....=%%%§§ §§%%%=....
..=/%%§@## ##@§%%/=..
......=%%§ §%%=......
...==/%%@# #@%%/==...
..=/%%§@## ......////////////////////////////...... ##@§%%/=..
..=/%%@### ../ 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..... .=. §§§%%=....
..=/%%§@## ......////////////////////////////...... ##@§%%/=..
...../%§§# #§§%/.....
..=/%%§@## ##@§%%/=..
.......=%§ §%=.......
..=/%§@### ###@§%/=..
......=%%§ §%%=......