,~-;^££@@@ @@@££^;-~,
,~-;^£@#@@ @@#@£^;-~,
,,,~~-^^£# #£^^-~~,,,
,,~~--;£## ##£;--~~,,
,~-;^@#@## ##@#@^;-~,
,~-;^£@#@# ,,,~~~;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~~~,,, #@#@£^;-~,
,~-;^@#@## ,~; 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..... ~-, #@#@£^;-~,
,,,,,,~;£@ ,,,~~~;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~~~,,, @£;~,,,,,,
,~-;^£@##@ @##@£^;-~,
,~-;^£@### ###@£^;-~,
,~-;^£@### ###@£^;-~,
,~-;^£@#@# #@#@£^;-~,
,~-;^£@#@# #@#@£^;-~,