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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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