,,,,,.\*##                                          ##*\.,,,,,
,,,,..«*##                                          ##*«..,,,,
,.«\**##@#                                          #@##**\«.,
,,,,,..\*#                                          #*\..,,,,,
,,,,,,.\*#                                          #*\.,,,,,,
,.«\**##@# ,,,...\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\...,,, #@##**\«.,
,.«\**###@ ,.\            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.....             .«, @###**\«.,
,.«\**##@@ ,,,...\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\...,,, @@##**\«.,
,.«\**##@@                                          @@##**\«.,
,,,.«\\**#                                          #**\\«.,,,
,,,.\\*##@                                          @##*\\.,,,
,.....\\*#                                          #*\\.....,
,.«\**##@@                                          @@##**\«.,