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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. %===,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=== ===,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,== == ==,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= == == =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ======= = = ======= ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, == == ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, == ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,== 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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