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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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