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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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