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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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