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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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