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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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