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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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