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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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