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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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