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† THE GLASS FACTORY. †
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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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