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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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