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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. :«^.......
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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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