,,-:$§¶@## ##@¶§$:-,,
,,,,,,:§¤¶ ¶¤§:,,,,,,
,,-$§¤¶@## ##@¶¤§$-,,
,,-$§¤¶@## ##@¶¤§$-,,
,,,,,:::§¤ ¤§:::,,,,,
,,-:$§¤¶@# ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, #@¶¤§$:-,,
,,-:$§¤¶@# ,,: the spire -:, #@¶¤§$:-,,
,,-:$§¤¶@@ -:,----------------------------------:-, @@¶¤§$:-,,
,,---:§¤¤¤ :-, 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 ,-: @¶§:::,,,,
,,,,,-$$$¤ ,:- few times, and stop going. -,: ¤$$$-,,,,,
,,-::::§¶¶ ,-:-----------------------------------:, ¶¶§::::-,,
,,,,:::$¤¤ -,: iirc it's currently owned by :-, ¤¤$:::,,,,
,,-:$§¤¤¶¶ -:, some energy drink baron who uses :,- ¶¶¤¤§$:-,,
,,-:$§§¤¤¶ :-, it to hold all his fourty eight ,:- ¶¤¤§§$:-,,
,,-:$§¤¶@# ,,- cars..... ,-, #@¶¤§$:-,,
,,---::§¶@ ,,,,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,,,, @¶§::---,,
,,-:$§¤¶@# #@¶¤§$:-,,
,,-:$§¤¶@# #@¶¤§$:-,,
,,-:$§¤¶@# #@¶¤§$:-,,
,,-:$§¤@## ##@¤§$:-,,
,,-:$§§§¤¶ ¶¤§§§$:-,,