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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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