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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. ££&†=~:...
....:~=†&£ £&†=~:....
.....:~=†& †† &†=~:.....
......:~=† †† †† †=~:......
.......:~= ~~~~~~~ † † ~~~~~~~ =~:.......
........:~ †† †† ~:........
.......:~= †† =~:.......
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.....:~=†& 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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