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,,,^»\%££@ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ AND A GIFT SHOP. @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ CONSIDERED POOR. @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# SOME ARE SHATTERED. #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ %% @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ %% %% ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ »»»»»»» % % »»»»»»» @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# %% %% #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## %% ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ LIT FROM BEHIND. @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ %% @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ %% %% ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ »»»»»»» % % »»»»»»» @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# %% %% #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## %% ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ FLOOR. ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# BECOME STILL. #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ %% ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ %% %% @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# »»»»»»» % % »»»»»»» #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## %% %% ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# %% #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ##@££%\»^,
,,^»\%££@# THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK #@££%\»^,,
,,,^»\%££@ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND @££%\»^,,,
,,,,^»\%££ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ££%\»^,,,,
,,,^»\%££@ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? @££%\»^,,,
,,^»\%££@# #@££%\»^,,
,^»\%££@## I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ##@££%\»^,
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