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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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