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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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