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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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