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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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