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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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