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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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