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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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