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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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