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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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