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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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