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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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