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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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