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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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