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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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