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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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