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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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