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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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