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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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