@,,,@@@@,@ ,,,@@,,,@,
@,,@,,,@@@ ,,@,@,,@@@
@,@@,,@,,@ ,@@@@,@,,,
@@,@,@@,@, @,,,@@@,,@
,@@@@,@@@@ @,,@,,@,@,
@,,,@@,,,, ,,,~~~============================~~~,,, @,@@,@@@@,
@,,@,@,,,, ,~= 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..... ~~, @,,,,,,@@@
,@@,@,,@@@ ,,,~~~============================~~~,,, @,,,,,@,,,
@,@@@,@,,@ @,,,,@@,,,
@@,,@@@,@, @,,,@,@,,@
,@,@,,@@@@ @,,@@@@,@,
@@@@,@,,,, @,@,,,@@@,
,,,@@@,,,@ @@@,,@,,@@