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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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