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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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