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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. ¨¨¨,~^§*##
###*§^~,¨¨ ¨¨,~^§*###
####*§^~,¨ §§ ¨,~^§*####
###*§^~,¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨,~^§*###
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#*§^~,¨¨¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨¨¨,~^§*#
##*§^~,¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨,~^§*##
###*§^~,¨¨ ¨¨,~^§*###
####*§^~,¨ 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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