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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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