,,,,,^=\%* *%\=^,,,,,
,,,,,,^=\% %\=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=\ \=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,^^^\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\^^^,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ,^\ 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..... ^=, ###&*%\=^,
,,^=\%*# ,,,^^^\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\^^^,,, ##&*%\=^,,
,,,^=\%* #&*%\=^,,,
,,,,^=\%*& &*%\=^,,,,
,,,,,^=\%* *%\=^,,,,,
,,,,,,^=\% %\=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=\ \=^,,,,,,,