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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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