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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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