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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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