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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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