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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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