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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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