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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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