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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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