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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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