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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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