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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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