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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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