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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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