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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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