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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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