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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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