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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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