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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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