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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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.......:«: ««««««« % % ««««««« :«:.......
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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. §%:«:.....
......:«:% %:«:......
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.........: ««««««« % % ««««««« :.........
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.......... ..........
.........: 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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....:«:%§@ ««««««« % % ««««««« @§%:«:....
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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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