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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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