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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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