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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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