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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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