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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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