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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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