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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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