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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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