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†††† ††††
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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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