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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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