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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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