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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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