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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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