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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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