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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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