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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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