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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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