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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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