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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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