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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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