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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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