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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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