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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. ..:~=$££##
###££$=~:. .:~=$££###
##££$=~:.. $$ ..:~=$££##
###££$=~:. $$ $$ .:~=$££###
##££$=~:.. ~~~~~~~ $ $ ~~~~~~~ ..:~=$££##
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##££$=~:.. $$ ..:~=$££##
###££$=~:. .:~=$££###
##££$=~:.. 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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