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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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