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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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