,:-^*$¶@##                                          ##@¶$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶@#                                          #@¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶@#                                          #@¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$¶@##                                          ##@¶$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶@# ,,,:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::,,, #@¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶## ,:^            THE  SPIRE            -^, ##¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶@# -^:----------------------------------^-: #@¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶@@ ^-: ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    ^:- @@¶§$*^-:,
,,,,,,,-*§ ^:-  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 -:^ §**-,,,,,,
,,,,,,-^$§ :-^  US,  AND  WE  LET  IT BE.  OUR  -^: §$^-,,,,,,
,,,::^$$¶@ -:^ JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS  FEET. ^-: @¶$$^::,,,
,,,,,-**§@ -^:----------------------------------^:- @§**-,,,,,
,:-^*$§¶## ^-: BUT THEN  WE  ARE BETRAYED.  THE :^- ##¶§$*^-:,
,:^*$§¶@## ^:-  NEW  TOWER  EATS US. OTHERS ARE :-^ ##@¶§$*^:,
,:-^*$§§¶¶ :^- SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE -:^ ¶¶§§$*^-:,
,,,,--^$$¶ :-^  MANIFESTED  OVERNIGHT, ONLY TO  -^: ¶$$^--,,,,
,:-^*$§¶¶¶ -:^  DISAPPEAR  IN THE  EVENING FOG. ^-: ¶¶¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶¶¶ -^:  FOR  A  WHILE ITS SOME KIND  OF ^:- ¶¶¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶¶@ ^-: TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED :^- @¶¶§$*^-:,
,,::::^$¶@ ^:- OUTSIDE, AND WE  GET BEATEN UP A :-^ @¶$^::::,,
,,,,-^**$¶ :^-  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  -:^ ¶$**^-,,,,
,:-^*$§¶## :-^-----------------------------------^: ##¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$¶@## -:^ IIRC  IT'S CURRENTLY  OWNED  BY  ^-: ##@¶$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶@# -^: SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES ^:- #@¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶¶@ ^-: IT TO  HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT :^- @¶¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶@# ,:-            CARS.....             :-, #@¶§$*^-:,
,,:--^$§§@ ,,,:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::,,, @§§$^--:,,
:-^*$§¶@##                                          ##@¶§$*^-:
,:-^*$§¶@@                                          @@¶§$*^-:,
,:-^*$§¶@#                                          #@¶§$*^-:,
,:-^^^^*§¶                                          ¶§*^^^^-:,
,:-^*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*^-:,