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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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