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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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