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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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