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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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