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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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