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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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