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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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