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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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