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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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