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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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