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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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