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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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