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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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