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