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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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