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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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