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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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