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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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