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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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