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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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