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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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