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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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