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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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