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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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