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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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