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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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