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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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