,-==†¤@### ###@¤†==-,
,-==†¤@### ###@¤†==-,
,-==†@#### ####@†==-,
,,,--===†@ @†===--,,,
,-==†¤@### ###@¤†==-,
,-==†¤@### ,,,---============================---,,, ###@¤†==-,
,-==†¤@### ,-= 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..... -=, ###@¤†==-,
,-==†¤@### ,,,---============================---,,, ###@¤†==-,
,,,,,,=†¤# #¤†=,,,,,,
,-==†¤@### ###@¤†==-,
,,,,-=†¤@@ @@¤†=-,,,,
,-=====¤@# #@¤=====-,
,-==†@#### ####@†==-,