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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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