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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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