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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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