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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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