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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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