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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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