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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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