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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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