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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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