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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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