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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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