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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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