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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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