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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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