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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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