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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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