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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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«:%
$%:«:¨¨¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨¨¨:«:%$
£$%:«:¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨:«:%$£
££$%:«:¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨:«:%$££
@££$%:«:¨¨ ¨¨:«:%$££@
#@££$%:«:¨ %% ¨:«:%$££@#
@££$%:«:¨¨ %% %% ¨¨:«:%$££@
££$%:«:¨¨¨ ««««««« % % ««««««« ¨¨¨:«:%$££
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$%:«:¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨:«:%$
%:«:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«:%
:«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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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