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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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