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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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