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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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