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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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