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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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