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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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