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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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