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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. .......~~\
~~........ ........~~
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£§\~~..... §§ .....~~\§£
&£§\~~.... ....~~\§£&
@&£§\~~... 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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