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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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