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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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