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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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