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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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