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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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