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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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