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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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