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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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