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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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