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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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