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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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