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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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