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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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