##¶¤%*=»~, ,~»=*%¤¶##
¤¤*=~~~~~, ,~~~~~=*¤¤
##@¤%*=»~, ,~»=*%¤@##
¤%*»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»*%¤
¶%*»»»~~,, ,,~~»»»*%¶
¤*=»»»~,,, ,,,~~~============================~~~,,, ,,,~»»»=*¤
##@¶¤%=»~, ,~= 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..... ~», ,~»==***%¶
¶¤%==~,,,, ,,,~~~============================~~~,,, ,,,,~==%¤¶
¤¤*»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»*¤¤
¶¤%%%*=»~, ,~»=*%%%¤¶
¤%*=~,,,,, ,,,,,~=*%¤
¤¤¤*»~,,,, ,,,,~»*¤¤¤
##@¶¤%*=~, ,~=*%¤¶@##