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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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