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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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