.~~:$*££## ##££*$:~~.
..~~:$*££# #££*$:~~..
...~~:$*££ ££*$:~~...
....~~:$*£ £*$:~~....
.....~~:$* *$:~~.....
......~~:$ ...~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~... $:~~......
.......~~: .~: the spire ~:. :~~.......
........~~ ~:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:~~ ~~........
.........~ :~~ once upon a time, there was a :~~ ~.........
.......... :~~ benevolent spire, towering well ~:~ ..........
.......... ~:~ above our tallest trees. it was ~~: ..........
.......... ~~: clad in white scales, and shaped ~~: ..........
.........~ ~~: liked a mushroom. ~:~ ~.........
........~~ ~:~ we loved it dearly. :~~ ~~........
.......~~: :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:~~ :~~.......
......~~:$ :~~ 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..... ~~. :~~.......
........~~ ...~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~... ~~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.........~ ~.........