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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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