.,«^*@@###                                          ###@@*^«,.
.....,^$$@                                          @$$^,.....
.,«^*$@@##                                          ##@@$*^«,.
.,«^^**$$@                                          @$$**^^«,.
.,«^*$@@##                                          ##@@$*^«,.
...,^^^$$@ ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... @$$^^^,...
..,,^**$@@ .,^            THE  SPIRE            «^. @@$**^,,..
.,«^$@@### «^,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^«, ###@@$^«,.
.,«^*$@@## ^«, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    ^,« ##@@$*^«,.
.,«^*$@@## ^,« BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL  ,^« ##@@$*^«,.
.,«^*$@@@@ ,^« ABOVE OUR  TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ,«^ @@@@$*^«,.
.,«^*$@@## ,«^ CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «,^ ##@@$*^«,.
.,«^*@@### «,^        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 «,^ @@**^,....
.,«^*$@@## ,«^ MANIFESTED  OVERNIGHT, ONLY  TO  «^, ##@@$*^«,.
.,«^*$@@## «,^ DISAPPEAR  IN THE  EVENING FOG.  ^«, ##@@$*^«,.
.,«^*$@@## «^, FOR A  WHILE  ITS SOME KIND  OF  ^,« ##@@$*^«,.
.....«^^$@ ^«, TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED ,^« @$^^«.....
.,«^*$@@## ^,« OUTSIDE, AND WE GET  BEATEN UP A ,«^ ##@@$*^«,.
.,«^*$@@## ,^«  FEW  TIMES,  AND  STOP  GOING.  «,^ ##@@$*^«,.
...«^**$$@ ,«^«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««^, @$$**^«...
.,«^*$@@## «,^  IIRC  IT'S  CURRENTLY  OWNED BY ^«, ##@@$*^«,.
.,«^*$@@## «^, SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES ^,« ##@@$*^«,.
.,«^*$@@## ^«, IT TO  HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ,^« ##@@$*^«,.
..,«««**$@ .,«             CARS.....            ,«. @$**«««,..
...,^**$@@ ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... @@$**^,...
.,«^*$@@##                                          ##@@$*^«,.
.,«^*$@@@#                                          #@@@$*^«,.
.,«^*$@@##                                          ##@@$*^«,.
....,^^$@#                                          #@$^^,....
...,^*$$@#                                          #@$$*^,...