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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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