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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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