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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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