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†††† ††††
†† ††
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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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