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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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