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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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