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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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