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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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