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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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