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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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