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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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