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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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