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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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