~-=§§@@### ###@@§§=-~
,~-=§§@@@@ @@@@§§=-~,
,,,,,,-=§@ @§=-,,,,,,
,~-=§§@@## ##@@§§=-~,
,~-=§§@@## ##@@§§=-~,
,,,,,-§@@# ,,,~~~============================~~~,,, #@@§-,,,,,
,~-=§§@@## ,~= 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..... ~-, ##@@§§=-~,
,~-=§§@@## ,,,~~~============================~~~,,, ##@@§§=-~,
,~-=§§@@## ##@@§§=-~,
,,,,~~~=§@ @§=~~~,,,,
,~-=§§@@## ##@@§§=-~,
,~-=§§@@## ##@@§§=-~,
,,,,--=§§@ @§§=--,,,,