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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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