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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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