††††††††
†††† ††††
†† ††
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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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