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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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