,,,=*†%#@#                                          #@#%†*=,,,
,,,,=*†%#@                                          @#%†*=,,,,
,,,,,=*†%#                                          #%†*=,,,,,
,,,,=*†%#@                                          @#%†*=,,,,
,,,=*†%#@#                                          #@#%†*=,,,
,,=*†%#@## ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, ##@#%†*=,,
,,,=*†%#@# ,,*            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.....             ,=, #%†*=,,,,,
,,,,=*†%#@ ,,,,,,****************************,,,,,, @#%†*=,,,,
,,,=*†%#@#                                          #@#%†*=,,,
,,=*†%#@##                                          ##@#%†*=,,
,,,=*†%#@#                                          #@#%†*=,,,
,,,,=*†%#@                                          @#%†*=,,,,
,,,,,=*†%#                                          #%†*=,,,,,