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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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