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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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