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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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