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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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