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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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