.,=:†§££##                                          ##££§†:=,.
..,=:†§££#                                          #££§†:=,..
...,=:†§££                                          ££§†:=,...
....,=:†§£                                          £§†:=,....
.....,=:†§                                          §†:=,.....
......,=:† ...,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,... †:=,......
.......,=: .,:            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.....             ,=. ££§†:=,...
....,=:†§£ ...,,,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::,,,... £§†:=,....
.....,=:†§                                          §†:=,.....
......,=:†                                          †:=,......
.......,=:                                          :=,.......
........,=                                          =,........
.......,=:                                          :=,.......