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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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