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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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