,,,-*$$&&@                                          @&&$$*-,,,
,,-*$&&@##                                          ##@&&$*-,,
,,,----*&@                                          @&*----,,,
,,,,,-*$&#                                          #&$*-,,,,,
,,,,,,,-$@                                          @$-,,,,,,,
,,-*$&@### ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, ###@&$*-,,
,,-*$&@### ,,*            THE  SPIRE            -*, ###@&$*-,,
,,-*$&@### -*,----------------------------------*-, ###@&$*-,,
,,-***&@## *-, 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 *-, @&*--,,,,,
,,-*$&@### -*, SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES *,- ###@&$*-,,
,,-*$&@### *-,  IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ,*- ###@&$*-,,
,,-*$&@### ,,-            CARS.....             ,-, ###@&$*-,,
,,-*$&@### ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, ###@&$*-,,
,,,,,*$$&#                                          #&$$*,,,,,
,,-*$&@###                                          ###@&$*-,,
,,,,,,-*&@                                          @&*-,,,,,,
,,-*$&@###                                          ###@&$*-,,
,,-*$&@###                                          ###@&$*-,,