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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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