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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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