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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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