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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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