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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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