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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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