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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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