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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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