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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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