††††††††
†††† ††††
†† ††
† †
† †
† TH3 GL4SS FACTORY. †
† †
† †
†† ††
†††† ††††
††††††††
#££§†^=~.. S3VER4L C3NTUR1ES 4FT3R 1T H4D L4ST ..~=^†§££#
££§†^=~... B3LONGED TO US, W3 W3NT ON 4N OUT1NG TO ...~=^†§££
£§†^=~.... TH3 GL4SS F4CTORY TH4T BOR3 OUR F4M1LY ....~=^†§£
§†^=~..... N4M3. 1T H4D CH4NG3D OWN3RS M4NY T1M3S .....~=^†§
†^=~...... S1NC3 OUR 4NC3STORS D34TH, 4ND TH3N ......~=^†
^=~....... STOOD 4BANDON3D FOR 4 LONG WH1L3. .......~=^
=~........ F1N4LLY, TH3 N4TURAL 3ND ST4T1ON FOR ........~=
~......... TH3 BU1LDINGS TH4T SURV1V3: 4 MUS3UM, .........~
.......... 4ND 4 G1FT SHOP. ..........
~......... .........~
=~........ TH3RE'S 4 LONG T1M3 S1NC3 MY F4M1LY ........~=
^=~....... M4D3 4NYTH1NG. BY M4NY, W3 WOULD B3 .......~=^
†^=~...... CONS1D3RED POOR. ......~=^†
§†^=~..... .....~=^†§
£§†^=~.... TH3RE 4R3 TWO M41N F4CTORY BU1LDINGS, ....~=^†§£
££§†^=~... DOM3D TH1NGS OF S3VER4L FLOORS, M4D3 1N ...~=^†§££
#££§†^=~.. Y3LLOW BR1CK. L4RG3 BUT N4RROW W1NDOWS, ..~=^†§££#
##££§†^=~. R3M1NESCENT OF SOM3 C4TH3DRAL. .~=^†§££##
#££§†^=~.. CUSTOM-M4D3 GL4SS, OF COURS3, L4RG3 4ND ..~=^†§££#
££§†^=~... L34D3D, 4ND 4SH3N. 4 B1T TOO D4RK TO B3 ...~=^†§££
£§†^=~.... PR4CT1CAL. ON TH3 34STERN BU1LDING, ....~=^†§£
§†^=~..... SOM3 4R3 SH4TT3RED. .....~=^†§
†^=~...... ......~=^†
^=~....... TH3 OTH3R ON3 1S PUBL1CLY OP3N. TH3RE'S .......~=^
=~........ 4 MUS3UM, W1TH W4X F1GUR3S OF MY GR34T ........~=
~......... GR34T GR34T GR4NDFATH3R, OR SOM3TH1NG. .........~
.......... V4R1OUS TOOLS (OR R3PL1C4S) L41D OUT ON ..........
~......... T4BL3S, W1TH 3XPL41NING T3XTS. 4 LOT OF .........~
=~........ GL4SS OF V4RY1NG TH1CKN3SS. ........~=
^=~....... .......~=^
†^=~...... †† ......~=^†
§†^=~..... †† †† .....~=^†§
£§†^=~.... ======= † † ======= ....~=^†§£
££§†^=~... †† †† ...~=^†§££
#££§†^=~.. †† ..~=^†§££#
##££§†^=~. .~=^†§££##
#££§†^=~.. 1 QU1CKLY SN34K OUT, 4ND CL1MB 1NTO TH3 ..~=^†§££#
££§†^=~... OTH3R BU1LDING. TH3 CONTR4ST 1S ...~=^†§££
£§†^=~.... OV3RWHELM1NG. 1T MUST H4V3 STOOD ....~=^†§£
§†^=~..... D3REL1CT FOR 4 LONG T1M3, W1NDOWS .....~=^†§
†^=~...... BROK3N, M3T4LL1C TR4SH 4ND POOLS OF ......~=^†
^=~....... D4RK GL4SS 4LL OV3R TH3 FLOOR. NO .......~=^
=~........ 3LECTR1C L1GHTS, BUT 1 C4N S3E BY TH3 ........~=
~......... L1GHT TH4T SH1N3S 1N WH3REVER TH3 D4RK .........~
.......... W1NDOWS 4R3 M1SSING 4 P4N3. ..........
~......... .........~
=~........ HOW3VER, TH3 GR34TEST D1FF3RENCE 1S TH3 ........~=
^=~....... H1GH3R FLOORS: TH1S BU1LDING H4S NON3. .......~=^
†^=~...... 1T 1S ON3 M4SS1V3 H4LL, STR3TCH1NG 4WAY ......~=^†
§†^=~..... 1NFINIT3LY 4BOV3 M3. SOM3WHERE UP TH3RE .....~=^†§
£§†^=~.... 1S SOM3 GR34T 1RON L4TT1C3WORK, FROM ....~=^†§£
££§†^=~... WH3RE CH41NS 4R3 SUSP3NDED, 4ND P4RTS ...~=^†§££
#££§†^=~.. OF M4CH1N3RY H4S B3EN F4LL1NG DOWN. ..~=^†§££#
##££§†^=~. .~=^†§££##
#££§†^=~.. TH3RE 1S, 1N TH3 M1DDL3 OF TH3 GR34T ..~=^†§££#
££§†^=~... H4LL, 4 TH1N SP1R4L ST41RCAS3 TH4T ...~=^†§££
£§†^=~.... L34DS UP TH3RE. 1 SN34K OV3R TH3RE, 4ND ....~=^†§£
§†^=~..... T4K3 4 F3W R3LUCT4NT ST3PS. 4FT3R JUST .....~=^†§
†^=~...... 4 R3VOLUT1ON, 1 NOT1C3 TH4T FOR 34CH ......~=^†
^=~....... ST3P TH3 BU1LDING ST4RTS TO GLOW, TH3 .......~=^
=~........ BR1CKS TURN1NG 4 D4RK R3D, 4ND TH3N ........~=
~......... OR4NG3, 4LL TH3 P1L3D UP D3BREE B31NG .........~
.......... L1T FROM B3H1ND. ..........
~......... .........~
=~........ 1 STOP R34DY TO RUN DOWN 4ND OUT, BUT ........~=
^=~....... TH3RE'S SOM3ONE 3LSE ON TH3 ST41RCAS3 .......~=^
†^=~...... W1TH M3 NOW, PR3SSED CLOS3. H3'S ......~=^†
§†^=~..... LOOK1NG L1K3 M3, SHORT H41R 4ND TH1N .....~=^†§
£§†^=~.... 4RMS, BUT W1TH 34RS FROM SOM3 4N1MAL, ....~=^†§£
££§†^=~... 4ND MOR3 D1STURBINGLY, COMPL3TELY M4D3 ...~=^†§££
#££§†^=~.. OF D4RK L1QUID GL4SS. ..~=^†§££#
##££§†^=~. .~=^†§££##
#££§†^=~.. †† ..~=^†§££#
££§†^=~... †† †† ...~=^†§££
£§†^=~.... ======= † † ======= ....~=^†§£
§†^=~..... †† †† .....~=^†§
†^=~...... †† ......~=^†
^=~....... .......~=^
=~........ MY F34R HOLDS M3 1N PL4C3 WH1L3 H3 ........~=
~......... ST4RTS OP3R4T1NG L3VERS 4ND D14LS S3T .........~
.......... 1N TH3 C3NTER OF TH3 ST41RCAS3. SLOWLY, ..........
~......... 1T ST4RTS SP1NNING, C1RCLING UPW4RDS. .........~
=~........ 1T'S 4N 3LEV4TOR! 1 ST4RT TO RUN ........~=
^=~....... DOWNW4RDS, BUT NOW TH3 L1QUID BOY .......~=^
†^=~...... CR34TURE GR4BS HOLD OF M3. 1 TRY TO ......~=^†
§†^=~..... SH4K3 H1M OFF, BUT H3'S TOO STRONG, 4ND .....~=^†§
£§†^=~.... PULLS M3 B4CK UP B3S1DE H1M. ....~=^†§£
££§†^=~... ...~=^†§££
#££§†^=~.. TH1S T1M3, 1 TURN 4NGRY 1NST34D. WH4T ..~=^†§££#
##££§†^=~. TH3 H3LL? WHO 1S TH1S GUY, 4CT1NG L1K3 .~=^†§££##
#££§†^=~.. TH1S? 1 R34CH OUT MY FR3E 4RM 4ND SL4M ..~=^†§££#
££§†^=~... 4 R4NDOM L3VER. SOM3 M3T4L B4R 1S ...~=^†§££
£§†^=~.... SUDD3NLY R3LE4SED B3TWEEN US, H1TTING ....~=^†§£
§†^=~..... H1M ON TH3 4RM, FORC1NG MY R3LE4SE. 1 .....~=^†§
†^=~...... SHOV3 H1M OFF OF M3, 4ND H3 F4LLS 1NTO ......~=^†
^=~....... TH3 L3VERS, M3SS1NG TH3M UP. .......~=^
=~........ 1MM3DI4TELY, 4 TH1N RUSTY CH41NMAIL ........~=
~......... CURT41N 1S DROPP3D 4ROUND M3. BUT TH3 .........~
.......... 3LEV4TOR 4LSO SP3EDS UP S1GNIFIC4NTLY. ..........
~......... .........~
=~........ TH3 W4LLS 4R3 FL4R1NG NOW, Y3LLOW, ........~=
^=~....... WH1T3, 4LMOST BLU3. 1 CLOS3 MY 3YES 4ND .......~=^
†^=~...... CURL 1NTO 4 B4LL. BUT TH3N, TH3 GL4SS ......~=^†
§†^=~..... BOY SCR34MS, 4 P13RCING SOUND TH4T .....~=^†§
£§†^=~.... FORC3S MY 3YES B4CK OP3N. 1 W4TCH 4S H3 ....~=^†§£
££§†^=~... B3COMES TOO L1QUID, H1S BODY POOL1NG ...~=^†§££
#££§†^=~.. DOWN 1N H1S NOW M4SS1V3 T41L, 4ND TH3 ..~=^†§££#
##££§†^=~. T1P OF 1T SUDD3NLY BR34KS OF 1N 4 GL4SS .~=^†§££##
#££§†^=~.. DROP TH4T F4LLS TOW4RD TH3 F4CTORY ..~=^†§££#
££§†^=~... FLOOR. ...~=^†§££
£§†^=~.... ....~=^†§£
§†^=~..... H3'S CR4WL1NG ON TH3 ST41RS, UN4BL3 TO .....~=^†§
†^=~...... K3EP H1S BODY UPR1GHT. C4N'T R34CH TH3 ......~=^†
^=~....... L3VERS, CL4WS 4T MY CH41NMAIL C4G3, .......~=^
=~........ WH1L3 H1S BODY 1S TURN1NG 1NTO D4RK ........~=
~......... P34RLS. F1N4LLY, H3'S LOST TOO MUCH OF .........~
.......... H1MS3LF 4ND TH3 SCR34M 1S CUT SHORT. ..........
~......... TH3 L4ST OF H1M R41NS DOWN. .........~
=~........ ........~=
^=~....... 1 ST1LL C4N'T R34CH TH3 L3VERS FROM .......~=^
†^=~...... W1THIN MY C4G3. LOOK1NG UP, 1 TRY TO ......~=^†
§†^=~..... M4K3 OUT TH3 C31LING, BUT 1T'S 4LL 4 .....~=^†§
£§†^=~.... WH1RLING S34 OF COLOURS. B3LOW M3 GLOWS ....~=^†§£
££§†^=~... TH3 H3LLF1RE OF TH3 F4CTORY W4LLS, BUT ...~=^†§££
#££§†^=~.. V3RY F41NT. 1 S1T DOWN, CURL B4CK UP, ..~=^†§££#
##££§†^=~. B3COME ST1LL. .~=^†§££##
#££§†^=~.. ..~=^†§££#
££§†^=~... †† ...~=^†§££
£§†^=~.... †† †† ....~=^†§£
§†^=~..... ======= † † ======= .....~=^†§
†^=~...... †† †† ......~=^†
^=~....... †† .......~=^
=~........ ........~=
~......... 4 L4RG3 CLUNK SH4K3S MY 3NT1RE BODY, .........~
.......... 4ND SN4PS M3 B4CK 1NTO R34L1TY. 1'M ..........
~......... B4CK 4T TH3 F4CTORY FLOOR, BUT TH3 .........~
=~........ ST41RS 4R3 ST1LL MOV1NG SL1GHTLY, ........~=
^=~....... CL1CKING 1N PL4C3, C4RRY1NG M3 TH3 L4ST .......~=^
†^=~...... F3W C3NT1METERS. 1 C4M3 FROM B3LOW, ......~=^†
§†^=~..... SOM3HOW. TH3 CH41NMAIL 1S R3TR4CTED, .....~=^†§
£§†^=~.... 4ND 1 SLOWLY D1SMOUNT TH3 ST41RS. ....~=^†§£
££§†^=~... ...~=^†§££
#££§†^=~.. SH4K1NG 4ND CRY1NG, 1 M4K3 MY W4Y OV3R ..~=^†§££#
##££§†^=~. TH3 F4CTORY FLOOR, W4D1NG THROUGH D4RK .~=^†§££##
#££§†^=~.. GL4SS M4RBL3S. 4 QU1CK GL4NC3 DOWN, 4ND ..~=^†§££#
££§†^=~... 1 S3E TH3RE'S SOM3TH1NG F41NT 1NSID3 ...~=^†§££
£§†^=~.... TH3M. 3MBRYOS? 4R3 TH3SE 3GGS? ....~=^†§£
§†^=~..... .....~=^†§
†^=~...... 1 SHUDD3R, 4ND CL1MB B4CK OUT. ......~=^†
††
†† ††
† †
†† ††
††