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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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