,^«/%$@###                                          ###@$%/«^,
,^«/%$@###                                          ###@$%/«^,
,^«/%$$$##                                          ##$$$%/«^,
,,,,,^/$##                                          ##$/^,,,,,
,,,«//%%$#                                          #$%%//«,,,
,^«/%$@### ,,,^^^////////////////////////////^^^,,, ###@$%/«^,
,^«//%$@@# ,^/            THE  SPIRE            «/, #@@$%//«^,
,^«/%$@### «/^««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««/«^ ###@$%/«^,
,^«««%%@@@ /«^ 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 ^/« ##@%«^,,,,
,^««//$$@# ,^«             CARS.....            ^«, #@$$//««^,
,,^^«%%@## ,,,^^^////////////////////////////^^^,,, ##@%%«^^,,
,^«/%$@###                                          ###@$%/«^,
,,,«««%@@#                                          #@@%«««,,,
,,,,,«%%$#                                          #$%%«,,,,,
,,,^^««%@#                                          #@%««^^,,,
,^«/%$@###                                          ###@$%/«^,