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