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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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