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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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