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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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