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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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