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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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