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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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