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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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