@@,,,@@@@, @@,,@,@,,,
,@,,@,,,@, ,@,@@@@,,@
@@,@@,,@@@ @@@,,,@,@@
,@@,@,@,,, ,,@,,@@@,,
@,@@@@@,,, ,@@,@,,@,,
@@,,,,@,,@ ,,,:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::,,, @,@@@,@@,@
,@,,,@@,@, ,:^ 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..... :«, @@,@@@@@@@
@,@,@@@@,@ ,,,:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::,,, ,@@,,,,,,,
@@@@,,,@@@ @,@,,,,,,@
,,,@,,@,,, @@@,,,,,@,
,,@@,@@,,@ ,,@,,,,@@,
,@,@@,@,@@ ,@@,,,@,@,
@@@,@@@@,, @,@,,@@@@,