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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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