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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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