¨¨¨,«==¤@@                                          @@¤==«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«==¤@                                          @¤==«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«==¤                                          ¤==«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«==                                          ==«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«==¤                                          ¤==«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«==¤@ ¨¨¨,,,============================,,,¨¨¨ @¤==«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«==¤@@ ¨,=            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.....            ,«¨ @@¤==«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«==¤@@# ¨¨¨,,,============================,,,¨¨¨ #@@¤==«,¨¨
¨,«==¤@@##                                          ##@@¤==«,¨
¨¨,«==¤@@#                                          #@@¤==«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«==¤@@                                          @@¤==«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«==¤@                                          @¤==«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«==¤                                          ¤==«,¨¨¨¨¨