,,:=^†$§## ##§$†^=:,,
,,,:=^†$§# #§$†^=:,,,
,,,,:=^†$§ §$†^=:,,,,
,,,,,:=^†$ $†^=:,,,,,
,,,,:=^†$§ §$†^=:,,,,
,,,:=^†$§# ,,,:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::,,, #§$†^=:,,,
,,:=^†$§## ,:^ 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..... :=, ##§$†^=:,,
,:=^†$§### ,,,:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::,,, ###§$†^=:,
,,:=^†$§## ##§$†^=:,,
,,,:=^†$§# #§$†^=:,,,
,,,,:=^†$§ §$†^=:,,,,
,,,,,:=^†$ $†^=:,,,,,
,,,,:=^†$§ §$†^=:,,,,