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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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