,,,«=†££@#                                          #@££†=«,,,
,,«=†££@##                                          ##@££†=«,,
,,,«=†££@#                                          #@££†=«,,,
,,,,«=†££@                                          @££†=«,,,,
,,,,,«=†££                                          ££†=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=†£ ,,,,,,============================,,,,,, £†=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=†££ ,,=            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.....             ,«, ££†=«,,,,,
,,,,«=†££@ ,,,,,,============================,,,,,, @££†=«,,,,
,,,«=†££@#                                          #@££†=«,,,
,,«=†££@##                                          ##@££†=«,,
,,,«=†££@#                                          #@££†=«,,,
,,,,«=†££@                                          @££†=«,,,,
,,,,,«=†££                                          ££†=«,,,,,