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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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