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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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