,~=**%§@@#                                          #@@§%**=~,
,,,,==*§@@                                          @@§*==,,,,
,,,,~*%§§@                                          @§§%*~,,,,
,,,,,,=*§@                                          @§*=,,,,,,
,~=*****%§                                          §%*****=~,
,,,~==*%@@ ,,,~~~****************************~~~,,, @@%*==~,,,
,~=**%§§@@ ,~*            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.....            ~=, @§%%%**=~,
,~=**%§@@# ,,,~~~****************************~~~,,, #@@§%**=~,
,,,,,=**§@                                          @§**=,,,,,
,,,,,=**§@                                          @§**=,,,,,
,,,~=***%§                                          §%***=~,,,
,~=**%§@##                                          ##@§%**=~,
,~=**%§@@#                                          #@@§%**=~,