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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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