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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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